The Dark World
by Fiora Scarlet
Summary: When a horde of extremely powerful Grimm emerge, very few students at Beacon Academy escape with their lives, and team RWBY must keep moving just to survive. They must balance finding their friends with escaping danger, while attempting to quell the growing numbers of Grimm and finding a place to call their home. How far can they go before they succumb to the inevitable?
1. The Beginning

'Yang! This way!'

They would never forget the screams. The haunting peril that slowly enveloped everything they had ever known. The fear in the citizen's eyes, as the only thing the young huntresses could do was run.

'Blake! On your left!'

The horrors they saw that day would forever be etched into their minds. They knew they weren't strong enough to fight off the Grimm that had attacked Beacon, so they did the only thing they could. They ran. They ran as fast as they could, doing everything they could just to survive.

'Weiss! Look out!'

Sprinting through the halls, watching the blood of their classmates paint the walls, helpless to do anything. Their world shrouded in a red curtain, their fragile minds forever changed by the living nightmare that had befallen them.

'RUBY!'

Waking with a jolt, Blake's worried face greeted Ruby as she snapped out of her slumber.

'Ruby, come on. This place isn't safe anymore. There are Grimm crawling all over the place.'

This was their life. Moving quickly and often, venturing across Vale in hope of a safe haven. Ever since the events of Beacon Academy the four huntresses had been on the run, not even aware if their friends were alive or not. Perhaps they perished in the attack. Perhaps not. The thought crossed Ruby's mind every day, the worry a recurring nightmare for her. Leaving their makeshift shelter, they silently moved in the still of night, the darkness masking their movements, a pungent scent drifted through the air, one the girls knew well by now. The stench of blood seemed to follow them wherever they went. It was one they could tell instantly, but still made them uncomfortable. The quiet night almost seemed peaceful, if it weren't for the dangerous atmosphere caused by the saturation of Grimm in the area. Even for a heavily infested area it was suspiciously dense.

'Geez, how many of these things are there?' Yang complained brashly, 'I mean, come on, there must be hundreds!'

'Yeah, it's strange. You think someone maybe lured them here?' Blake added, her cat ears twitching as she heard a very uncomfortable sound. Noticing her slight change in demeanour, Ruby asked what was wrong.

'There's something nearby. Something big. It's... coming right this way.'

The terrified look on her face told the group everything they needed to know. Bad news was headed right for them. In that second, they all immediately felt a huge amount of aura surrounding the area, and as they turned they saw the source.

'Is that an S class?!' Weiss shrieked in a panicked tone, as they stared at the Ursa in front of them. Not just a normal Ursa however, but one with a slightly humanoid appearance. The facial features were much more human, and one arm was noticeably less hairy than the other, but its strength was still far exceeding of a regular Ursa. Bringing it's paw down, it smashed into the ground where the girls had been stood mere seconds ago.

'Yeah, I think it's pretty safe to say that's an S class,' Blake confirmed, readying Gambol Shroud for the confrontation.

'Blake, stop! We can't fight that thing!' Ruby shouted, worried for her friend. Blake was the one most affected by the attack on Beacon, and as such she wanted to wipe out as many Grimm as possible. She hated them.

_It's your fault she died._

_You want to free the Faunus, and you couldn't even save one? Pathetic._

_You're too weak._

_You need to make up for what you couldn't do at Beacon._

_If you can't even beat one S class, how will you protect your friends when a bigger threat comes along? It's just one Ursa. What about a Death Stalker, or a Nevermore? Everyone you care about will die. That's how weak you are._

These thoughts ran through Blake's head every day. She watched a Faunus, one of her closest friends at that, be literally ripped in two right in front of her. And she was powerless to stop it. Since then, she swore to both protect her friends and to destroy all that was Grimm. It was only thanks to the fact that her friends were still with her that she had managed to stay in control of her emotions and not attempt to slaughter every last Grimm around. But that time was over. She wanted payback, and she wanted it _now. _Luckily, she was given a saving grace as the Ursa was hit by a rather large explosion, followed by an excited 'wee' that could only belong to one person.

'Nora Valkyrie, on duty!'

The cheerful and happy giggle Nora gave was just enough to make Blake snap out of her funk, and soon after a worn out Ren showed up as well.

'Nora... please... at least tell me when you're going to do something like that next time.'

Looking up, he was surprised to see team RWBY stood there.

'Ruby! You're all OK,' he said with a sigh of relief.

'Where are Pyrrha and Jaune?' Ruby asked him, a slight tinge of worry in her voice.

'No idea,' he responded solemnly. 'We were separated after the Grimm attack. We've been looking for them since, and we were just passing through here when we heard shouting. It's good to see you again.'

'Yeah, you too. Maybe we should deal with this first, though,' she said as she pointed towards the Ursa who was now recovering from the initial blast of Magnhild.

The Ursa, now furious at the assault, charged towards them using aura to augment its strength to immense levels. One hit to the ground sent shockwaves rippling through the floor that uprooted the ground within a 30 meter radius, sending the 6 of them with it. They each responded quickly however, Ruby using her sniper to fire bullets upwardswhich rapidly increased the speed of her descent, while Weiss used her dust to manipulate the direction Ruby was travelling, sending her towards Nora. Nora then used Magnhild to launch her back to the Ursa, and Ruby changed Crescent Rose to scythe mode, tearing straight through the Ursa's neck as she rocketed past. After a few moments, Weiss spoke up to break the silence.

'We... we beat an S class...' she said, the realisation of their victory beginning to sink in as they began to relax, before jolting back to reality, aware of the fact that the numerous Grimm in the area would also have heard the commotion. After they made a hasty getaway, they came to a ravine with a small indent in it, just large enough for the 6 of them to comfortably lay under the rocky shelter.

As the group tried to get some rest, Blake turned to Yang.

'Yang? Do you think... do you think we'll ever be able to rebuild civilization and go back to how things were?'

Yang looked up, her eyes deep in thought.

'I dunno. I hope so, but... I really don't know.' Seeing that it wasn't a good enough answer for Blake, as she was still in quite a bad emotional state, she continued.

'But if things don't go back to the way they were, I'll make them go back,' she said with a smile, her fist lightly reaching up, before drooping back to her side as she went to sleep.

'Thanks, Yang,' Blake mumbled to herself as she curled up and joined the rest of them in their first peaceful rest in weeks.


	2. Jade

For the first time in weeks, Ruby didn't have the nightmare. When she woke, a small part of her wished she could return to that peaceful dream world, where she and her friends still laughed together at Beacon. But the cold breeze drifting into the crevice confirmed that this was still the real world. Looking around, she was the first to wake up, so she decided to head outside and scout out the area a little. Using Crescent Rose to climb the steep rocks above, she lifted herself out of the crevice and for the first time in a long time she appreciated just how beautiful this world actually was. When she still lived in comfort she took it for granted. Looking around to see the trees and grass gently swaying in the wind and the flowers dotting the landscape with numerous rock formations, as well as a waterfall so blue that she could swear she imagined it, she was awestruck. It was an incredible sight. For someone who had only known the colour of the night and the colour of blood for the past while, this was a very much welcomed change of scenery.

'Ruby?' she heard a voice call, and turning around she saw that it belonged to Yang.

'Why are you up here by yourself?' she asked, a small smile crossing her lips just for a fleeting fraction of a second.

'You looked... happy. I didn't want to wake you,' Ruby replied as she turned around.

_Don't cry. Not in front of her. Be strong._

Gathering her emotions, she turned to face Yang once more.

'How are the others?' she asked, changing the topic.

'They're a little drowsy but they're awake,' Yang answered. The tone of her voice told Ruby that her sister was still very worried about her emotional state, and that made her both happy and annoyed. She was glad her sister cared for her, but she hated the fact everyone treated her as though she couldn't take care of herself, however true that may have been. After all, if Nora and Ren hadn't shown up to take care of that S class Grimm, Ruby would most likely be dead by now, along with the rest of her team.

When the rest of the group was awake and ready, they set off again in search of a more stable residence, however the immediate thought plaguing their minds was this:

'Where are we gonna find some food?' Ren asked, worriedly. 'I haven't seen an animal for hours. If we don't eat our bodies are going to get weak, and that'll just make us easy prey for the Grimm.'

'We'll find something,' Weiss responded, uncharacteristically positive, especially considering the situation.

'Why don't we try fishing?' Blake put forward, the others surprised at her decision to join the conversation, as she had been especially quiet lately.

'That's not a bad idea,' Weiss said cheerfully. 'There's only one problem. We're in the middle of a meadow. I haven't seen _water _for at least an hour, never mind a river.

After that, Blake shrunk back into her shell again, not saying a word until nightfall whereupon they decided to take turns resting underneath a huge tree, while one person kept watch. The tree was covered in apples much to their relief, so they each ate their fill before settling. After they had agreed the order, as the team leader, Ruby volunteered to watch the first hour. Nothing particularly eventful happened, mind for a few owls hooting in the distance and the occasional howl of a Beowolf. This series of uneventful hours continued until the fifth hour, when Ren was keeping watch. In the distance, her saw a tiny silhouette frantically sprinting towards them, and equipping Storm Flower he prepared himself. He lowered his weapons moments later however, when he saw it was not a Grimm but rather a young girl running towards them, no older than 10 at most. He walked out to meet her, and, panting very heavily, she collapsed onto the ground. It was then he noticed the reason the girl was running so frantically, as a Death Stalker approached in the distance, evidently chasing the young girl Ren held in his arms. Picking her up, he hurriedly took her to the tree where his team lay sleeping before shaking each one of them to wake them up, Nora turning to hug his leg as she slept.

'What, morning already?' Yang groggily asked with a yawn.

'Not quite,' Ren replied, 'but there's a Death Stalker heading right this way.

Alerting herself, she pointed something out to Ren.

'Uhh, Ren?'

'What is it?'

'That's not _a_ Death Stalker.'

'What do you mean? I saw it and-'

What he saw horrified him. Yang was right. It wasn't _a_ Death Stalker. It was six Death Stalkers.

'Who's the girl?' Blake asked, already wide awake.

'I don't know. She was running this way, and those things were following her.'

They were now faced with a dilemma. There was absolutely no way they could carry the girl and get away from the Death Stalkers, so they had two choices. Either leave the girl and run, or fight the Grimm that were approaching.

'Ruby, it's your call. Do we fight or run?'

'We can't just leave her here. We fight. I'm not letting anyone else die as long as I'm in charge!'

The group all accepted her response, and readied their weapons.

'Are we taking one each or taking them one at a time as a team?' Weiss inquired, looking to Ruby for an answer.

'One each. We'd never be able to take them one at a time and save the girl.'

Looking at each of them, while Ruby had faith in their abilities, she still couldn't help but be a little worried. They had fought a Death Stalker before in the Emerald Forest, but that was as a team where they had nothing else to worry about. Plus, Pyrrha was a major factor in that victory. She couldn't help but worry about them.

_Please, let them all live. Please, if there's someone up there, don't take them from me._

With that thought, Ruby shot forward, her eyes fuelled by the desire to keep her friends alive as she used Crescent Rose to propel herself forward. Landing mere feet in front of the first Grimm, she shot upwards at the tail to weaken the stinger before launching herself upwards, slicing through the it as she dashed through the air. Then, she shot upwards again, this time to launch herself downwards, thinking back to how Nora killed the first Death Stalker she encountered as she slammed Crescent Rose down onto the sting, impaling the creatures head. As she did this, the rest of the group were also dealing with their Grimm.

Weiss used her dust to systematically blind each one of her Death Stalkers eyes, causing it to flail wildly in panic, which allowed her ample time to get in position and thrust Myrtenaster into a weak spot on its body, the beast twitching slightly before succumbing to the attack.

Blake had a little more trouble with hers however, her bullets and blade failing to do any significant damage. She attempted to attack its weak points like Weiss, but was swatted away, hitting a tree in the process which broke several of her ribs. Grimacing in pain as blood began to pour from her chest with at least two ribs broken, she looked up to see the Death Stalker approaching. She tried to move but even breathing was painful for her, let alone walking. As she began to accept her fate, Yang suddenly attacked the claw of the Death Stalker, shattering it and drawing it's attention away from Blake. Two of them were tough for Yang to handle though, and she soon found many holes in her legs and arms from the stingers. Using her semblance, she punched one, destroying it completely and turned around to grab the other, using the last bit of her strength to launch it into Ren's Death Stalker before collapsing in pain.

Nora had a relatively easy time, her weapon well suited to battling heavily armoured opponents as she easily smashed her way through the Death Stalker's thick hide, killing it with little effort.

'Yang!' Ruby shouted as she realised her sister had been badly injured. Quickly checking her over to make sure she was OK, she hurriedly went towards Blake.

'Can you move?' Ruby asked tenderly, the worry in her voice evident.

'Not... not on my own,' Blake managed to wheeze in between pained grunts, her hand gently clutching her chest.

'Weiss, could you make some ice for me?' Ruby asked, and a few moments later she tore a piece of her cape off to wrap around the ice, creating a makeshift ice pack.

'Here, hold this against where it hurts for a while,' she gently told her. 'Careful, it's cold,' she said, a small smile crossing her lips as Blake gasped cutely in surprise at the sudden temperature drop against her ribs.

'Is Yang OK?' Ren asked Ruby, looking over to where she was curled up, happily sleeping on the lush, soft grass.

'She's fine. She's just sleeping. Her wounds weren't serious, just a bunch of holes in her skin. Luckily, they didn't go too deep so they just needed patching up with some cloth and they'll heal after a few weeks.'

'That's good. At least we all came out of that OK, more or less.'

Sighing, she laid back, her body relaxing against the calm breeze drifting through the fields. She took a deep breath, worn out from the fighting, before turning to look at the young girl whom Ren had carried back to where they were resting.

'I wonder who she is?' she said out loud to herself, before looking back up at the sky. Hours passed, the sun now high in the midday sky, and the girl finally woke up. Yang was also awake, and Blake was able to move, albeit very slowly as her ribs were still extremely sore.

* * *

'So you said your name was Jade?' Weiss confirmed with the girl, who simply responded;

'Yes.'

'Do you not have anyone to look after you?' she nervously asked, worried for the child's safety.

'No. My mom died when I was born and my dad was killed by Grimm about 6 months ago. He was a Hunter, so fighting Grimm was his job.'

Blunt, and to the point. For such a young girl, the Huntresses found it quite jarring that she was this... calm about it.

'You're taking it awfully well,' Blake stated, 'most kids your age don't take it this easily,' she continued.

'I have to be,' Jade replied, a faint solemn tone catching her voice. 'I had two choices. Sit, cry and die, or be strong, get over it and survive. I was scared of death more than I was sad that my father died. It hurts... but it's just how things are now.'

It was like a knife in the heart for the group. A child shouldn't have to go through this, they all thought. She should be able to play happily with her friends, and go home to eat, all covered in dirt from having so much fun. She shouldn't have to act like an adult already.

'I'll fix this broken world if it's the last thing I do,' Ruby muttered to herself. 'Come on, let's go find some fresh water and look for our friends. You can come with us,' Ruby said with a loving smile to their new companion. With that, they slowly began to walk again, making sure to walk slowly so Blake could keep up with them.

_The sun is especially hot today, _Ruby thought to herself. _We'd better find water fast, or we're done for._

* * *

_Author's Note: For people confused as to why they weren't helping each other during the fighting with the Death Stalkers, all those fights were taking place simultaneously, I just wasn't very sure how to convey that better than how I did.  
_


	3. Broken Bones, Shattered Peace

A month passed. A month of walking, fighting and searching. A month of nothing.

'Jaune, Pyrrha... where are you?' Nora mumbled to herself, not quite managing to shake her usual cheerful tone while she walked. The group had found themselves traversing a mountain range, which granted them a much welcomed freedom from Grimm, the creatures being scarce in the mountains where there were no people. They eventually came across a spring, presumably formed by the rainwater catching in a small ditch in the ground. Nora immediately dunked her head in, taking big gulps, not a care in the world for any potential threat that might have been in the water.

'Ith's reawwy cowd!' Nora shouted as her head bobbed back up, water splashing everywhere as she spoke.

'Of course it's cold,' Yang remarked with a cute giggle, 'it's not like this place has easy access to the sun with all the mountains around,' she pointed out, Nora paying no attention as she continued doing whatever it was that she was doing. Ruby, Blake and Weiss both took the time to clean off, the experience being basically luxury compared to what they were used to nowadays, while Ren was talking to Jade a little bit.

'Were you named after your hair?' Ren asked, noting the similarity between her name and hair colour, which was a brilliant green hue.

'Yeah, I think so. I've always thought it was a pretty word. It sounds so calm. So peaceful.'

She leant her head back, taking in the cool mountain air for a while in silence, Ren basking in the calmness next to her. After they had all cleaned off and collected some clean water to drink on the journey, they set off once more. Upon reaching the end of the mountain pass, they came to the outskirts of an abandoned village.

'Be careful,' Blake warned the rest of them, 'this place is Aria village. Back when I was a member of the White Fang, we were told about this place. It's a hotspot for S class Grimm, possibly even an SS class.

'S class?' Jade asked, confused by the new term, 'what's that?'

'The Grimm are all separated into 7 groups,' Weiss began, explaining while they walked towards the village, 'there are C-Class, which are the weakest of them all, but there are a lot more of them compared to the others. I'd say around 150,000 in total on Remnant. Then you have the B-Class, which are slightly stronger but still fairly weak. According to our classes in Beacon, there are roughly 25,000 of those kinds. Then we have A-Class, which I'd say are around as strong as we are right now. There are about 1,500 of them in total. After that, we get to the 'special' kinds of Grimm. First, there are the S-Class, which are the weakest known Grimm that can use aura, and they all have minor resemblance to humans, but nobody knows why. There's a theory that it's because they can use aura, but it's never been proven. They can't manifest it like humans can, but they can use it to augment their attacks. We actually came into contact with one a while back, and had it not been for Ren and Nora over there we'd probably be dead. They're extremely strong, but luckily there are only around 200 of them at most so they aren't a big problem. After that, there's the SS-Class. An SS-Class is capable of destroying an entire town in minutes, to give you an idea of just how powerful they are, and they're even more human-like than the S-Class. Noticing a pattern here? Then, there are the SSS-Class. As far as we know, these things are pretty much human, other than a few Grimm traits here, like the mask and a few animal parts, and they can supposedly control aura to the point where they have semblances. Finally, there are the ones known as X-Class. Nobody has ever lived after coming into contact with them, but we got a single report back about an immensely powerful Grimm without a mask. The Hunter said they had pure blood red eyes, and had incredibly powerful aura. Aside from that, we know nothing about them, and that's just about it for the Class system. Did that clear up your confusion?'

'Yeah, thanks. I've never heard anyone refer to them by class before, so I didn't know what was going on,' Jade answered happily.

* * *

A few minutes later, they reached Aria village, and agreed to split into pairs to look around for anything they could use.

'Yang and I will search the houses on the left, Blake and Weiss; can you guys search the ones on the right?'

'Sure,' they both responded in unison.

'What do we do?' Ren asked, while Nora curiously took a look at the surroundings, before changing her interest to the insects on the ground, gleefully watching them scuttle around.

'Can you guys look after Jade and keep watch? We just need to make sure no Grimm wander in while we're searching, that's all.

'Yeah, me and Nora can handle that,' Ren answered. 'I'm sure if we see anything Nora will let you know. She's been really full of energy recently so I'm pretty sure she'd jump at the chance to fight some Grimm.'

Searching house after house, Ruby and Weiss were finding nothing but unhelpful junk.

'I'm not expecting to find any food or water that we can take but some medical supplies would be nice,' Yang complained, the dissatisfaction in her voice not making any attempt to hide. 'Blake still hasn't fully recovered from that Death Stalker attack, and I still get pains in my legs where those things hit me. Something, _anything _would be nice at this point.'

They continued searching, the lack of contact from Blake and Weiss meant they were having just as little success on the other side. As they were about to give up, Ruby stopped dead in the doorway of one of the houses, causing Yang to walk straight into her back.

'What gives, Rubes? What's up?'

Ruby stared, frozen in fear at the sight before her. Sitting in the middle of the room, there was a Grimm. A Grimm with human arms, which ended with wolf-like claws. One with Razor sharp teeth, and fur covering their body, other than the ears, feet, face and hands.

'You interrupted my rest,' the creature said, in a low distorted growl. Too scared to say anything, Ruby simply started backing away, Yang following her lead as she did so.

'I didn't give you permission to leave,' the Grimm threatened, looking her dead in the face. Even though his mask obscured his face, she knew he was smiling to himself. She knew he wasn't just going to let her walk away.

'I was planning on sleeping some more, but since a meal ever so kindly presented itself to me, I think I'll eat now,' he said, laughing maniacally as he did so. 'Go on. Run. I'll give you 10 seconds before I tear you to shreds.'

Heeding his warning, the two girls sprinted as fast as their legs could carry them.

'WEISS! BLAKE! RUN!' Yang screamed across the village, tears streaming down her face in fear. 'THERE'S AN SS CLASS!'

Meanwhile back in the hut, the Beowolf had finished counting.

'Dinnertime.'

Powering out the door, the Beowolf soon caught up to the girls, his legs far too strong to outrun. Even regular Beowolves were faster than normal humans, so one of this strength left them with no chance of escape. Their futility only fuelled his desire to slaughter and eat them. He noticed the blonde was running with a very slight limp, possibly due to an earlier conflict.

'Easy prey,' he whispered to himself, chuckling. Seconds later, he pounced, Yang screaming as his claws dug into her back, riding her like a surfboard across the dirt. He then threw her up into the air, before catching her by the neck and slamming her into the ground, Yang making slight whimpering noises as her face began to turn purple. She struggled, but the powerful claws of the Beowolf slowly tightening around her neck were far too strong. She couldn't budge him even an inch.

Bang.

A single shot emanated from Crescent Rose, as a terrified Ruby watched in fear as her sister edged closer and closer to death with every passing second. The Beowolf looked at her in surprise, before loosening his grip and slumping over.

'You... bitch... I won't... forget this...' he muttered as he collapsed onto his side.

'Is... is he... is he d-dead?'

Ruby's frightened stammering and shaking body hurt her sister far more than any physical wounds. As she wrapped her arms around Ruby, she comforted her with soothing words.

'I think so. But I'm alive. That's what matters, Ruby. As long as we survive, we can do anything.'

Ruby closed her eyes, shutting out the horror of what she just witnessed. They don't know how long they stood like that, just happily cut off from the world in their embrace.

'That's really cute. And when I say really cute, I mean really disgusting.'

The two of them immediately snapped back to reality, Yang letting go of Ruby as she realised that the Beowolf was still very much alive. Not just that, but he appeared completely unharmed. The creature delivered an incredibly strong blow to Yang's face, launching her roughly 40 metres across the dirt, knocking her unconscious immediately and probably breaking a few bones as well.

Ruby stood face to face with the creature as it smirked, revealing its jaws to her as he grabbed her arms. With one simple movement of his hands, he instantly broke both of Ruby's arms in several places, a series of sickening snaps reverberating through the air as they did so. As Ruby closed her eyes and awaited death, however, she heard the familiar sound of a hammer hitting something very close by, and a grunt that accompanied it, as well as the feeling of her arms no longer being restrained.

'Hey there, Ruby,' Nora cheerfully stated, not quite grasping how dire the situation was.

'Come on, you can't give up now,' she heard Weiss say. Opening her eyes, she saw everyone had gathered around her. Looking over to the Beowolf, seeing that he was still recovering, she took the chance to point out Yang, Ren running over to carry her as she did so, and she told the others to run like hell.

'Now I'm really pissed,' the Beowolf said as he got up, staggering as the impact of Magnhild still rang through his body. 'These fucking kids are really starting to annoy me. All I wanted was to enjoy my hunt, but I guess I'll just have to kill them the boring way, he said as he began to regain his balance, sprinting after them again. It was only when he saw her that he stopped in his tracks.

'That one looks nice and juicy,' he said as his mouth salivated, staring at the tantalizing flesh of the young girl that accompanied the group. Jade also noticed his stares, and knew exactly what he was after. Making sure to slip behind the others, she turned and ran in a different direction, the group too focused on escaping to notice.

_It's me you want, isn't it? Come and get me then you bastard!_

He smiled to himself as he watched her run.

'She's pretty smart for a runt. That'll make the meal even tastier. I'll come for the rest of you some other time,' he told himself, staring at the now distant backs of team RWBY, Nora and Ren before chasing after Jade.

_I guess this is it, _she told herself, a few tears streaking her young face. _I'll see you soon, dad._

As she hit a dead end, she turned to see the wolf staring at her, a cocky smile that said 'I win' written across his face.

'End of the line, huh?'

'End of the line. Any last words?'

'Yeah. Thank you.'

Bemused, the wolf laughed to himself.

'I'm about to eat you alive, and you're _thanking _me? You really are a strange one.'

'Yes,' she responded, her expression now completely different from before, 'thank you for leaving my prey alone. I'd much rather savour their taste some other time. They aren't quite ripe yet,' she said, as her body began to metamorphosise into that of a strange creature that the Beowolf had never seen before. There was a slight bit of fur covering her body, and the talons on her hands and feet were much sharper than his own, along with the extremely long canine teeth she possessed. She was completely different, and the rabid look in her eyes struck fear into the heart of even an SS-Class Grimm like himself.

'What the hell are you?' he said, as he slowly backed off, trying to keep her talking while he created enough distance to escape.

'I'm a genetically modified Saberfang. An SSS-Class Grimm. And as for you? You're my food. You wanted to prey on my food. And now your life is mine.'

'Please... you can have them, just let me go!'

Giggling a little, she simply said;

'Thanks for the meal.'

Those were the last words he ever heard as her teeth ripped his throat out, as she tore up his body and feasted on his flesh and innards.

'Ruby... I'm going to enjoy killing you. But not right now. It's not time yet.'

* * *

'Where's Jade?!'

Ren panicked as he realised she was nowhere to be seen. Looking in despair, Blake said that which Ren didn't want to hear, or believe.

'She must have been taken by that Grimm.'

'No! We have to go back, we have to save her!'

'Ren, we can't! That thing is way too powerful for us! I know how you feel, but... we can't. We're not strong enough. Honestly, I'm surprised we made it out of there alive. Yang has a broken jaw and nose, Ruby can't stop crying and my chest felt like it was bursting the whole time we were running. We're injured and weak. I'm sorry Ren... there's nothing we can do.'

Blake couldn't handle it anymore. Kneeling down, she began sobbing into her hands.

'There's... nothing we can do to help.'

All of them wore a melancholy expression. None of them liked it. But they all knew it was true.

'Ren?' Nora asked timidly, her curious eyes looking disheartened and sad, 'if it's OK with you, why did you feel so attached to that girl? Did you know her?'

After a brief period of silence, Ren answered.

'She looks exactly like my sister. She disappeared when I was a child. Even before I met you, Nora. She was my older sister. Her name was Chun. She went missing, police said it was a kidnapping. They never found the guy who did it, but Chun was the spitting image of that girl. She reminded me of her. I just... I felt comfortable around her. As if I'd found my sister again.'

Nora chastised herself inside for being jealous, but as much as she hated it, a small part of her was actually happy that the girl was gone. She hated thinking that Ren might care for that girl more than he did for her.

_No, stop it! How can I think like that? How selfish can I be? That poor girl is probably scared out of her mind, maybe even dead, and I'm happy? What kind of horrible person am I?_

Not a single word more was shared between them that night, as they all went to sleep in total silence, finding an abandoned barn to stay the night in.

* * *

_Author's Note: Just to clarify for people who didn't figure it out, Saberfang's are Grimm that share features with Sabertooth Tigers._


	4. Separation

_**Hope you guys like it! Things get even spicier this chapter, let me know what you think :) every bit of feedback helps!**_

* * *

Days passed. Weeks. Yang, Ruby and Blake were in agony from their previous injuries. They group had been forced to make camp in the barn until they could find something to at least numb the pain slightly, as Ruby could barely move without screaming, every tiny little movement sending jolts of pain searing up her fractured arms. They had to keep constant watch on Yang because she was having a lot of trouble breathing, both her nose and jaw heavily damaged from the clash with the SS-Class Beowolf. Ren and Weiss had gone out on a routine food and supply search, while Nora and Blake kept watch over Ruby and Yang. Their conversations had grown very thin as of late, a thick tension growing in the atmosphere since their argument. They tried to pretend it didn't exist, but it only got worse with each passing day, until finally Blake spoke up.

'Are we just going to be like this forever? Are we going to be arguing and acting like children like this, every single day? We're fighting for our _lives _here. We can't afford to be so stupid at a time like this.'

Blake's words struck a chord with everyone present. They all knew that she was right, but none of them wanted to admit it. They didn't want to admit their faults. Deep down, they all realised they were still just children, children who thought that they knew the world. Children who thought they were adults.

'Let's just put our differences aside, and agree to work together to survive. Any objections?'

Yang and Ruby shook their heads, and Nora replied with a timid 'no.'

Hours passed, and still no sign of Ren or Weiss.

'You don't suppose anything happened to them, do you?' Nora worriedly asked Blake, who shook her head.

'Nah, they're strong enough to handle themselves. They can always run from an S-Class, and there are only a small handful of SS-Class Grimm around. Even less of the higher ranks. They probably just ran into a large group of Grimm, that's all. They'll be back soon.'

Even with her words, however, night quickly came. Nora began to grow frantic, pacing backwards and forwards with Magnhild, the stress on her face evident.

'Blake, I'm going to go look for them,' she quickly blurted out.

'What? That's insane, Nora. It's going to be pitch black soon! You go out there alone, and you won't survive the night. We can't just leave Ruby and Yang, and there's no way they can come with us in the condition they're in!'

'I'm going to go alone, Blake. I had no intention of taking you with me. Stay here with them. Look after them. I'm going to find Ren and Weiss, no matter what.'

Blake stared at her in disbelief. The resolve written on Nora's face told Blake she was serious about this. She wanted to go with her to make sure she was safe, but she couldn't abandon Ruby and Yang. Fighting an inner conflict that she would lose either way, she eventually gave in.

'...Fine.'

Nora's face lit up at Blake's approval.

'Go. I won't stop you. But you'll be alone. As long as you know that, you can go.'

'I'll find them, Blake. I promise,' Nora said confidently, her usual cheery smile returning to her face for the first time in weeks.

Nora set out on her journey, heading the direction that Ren and Weiss took, Magnhild in hand.

'I'm coming for you... wherever you are... be safe,' she whispered to herself, heading out into the night.

Meanwhile, somewhere along the way...

'Boss, what do we do with these guys? They're not Grimm.'

The White Fang officer took a quick look at the bloody, bruised bodies of a certain dust wielding huntress and pistol using hunter before responding.

'We take them. The girl looks like she'd be a good fuck. As for the guy, we can put him to work cleaning the shit out of the toilets or something.'

Picking up Weiss and Ren, they hauled the two beaten teens into the back of a cart, filled with several Grimm and human corpses alike.

'This is gonna be a good night,' the grunt chuckled to himself sadistically.

* * *

Nora must have walked for hours, her feet beginning to drag through the dirt as she walked when it hit her. She hadn't seen or heard a single Grimm the entire time. Now it could have been that she had simply been daydreaming as she walked, but she had a suspicion that that was not the case.

_That's not right. Even if it's Ren I'm thinking about, no, especially when it's Ren, I'm always completely alert. If there were Grimm nearby, I would know. But Weiss and Ren surely couldn't clear all of them out... could they?_

Despite her usual ditzy nature, Nora was actually one of the more intelligent students, her knack for uncovering the truth being a major factor in being accepted to Beacon along with her skill with Magnhild. She immediately knew something was fishy about the situation. In a place like this, where it was fairly easy to reach unlike the mountains, she knew that there was no way that there wouldn't be any Grimm at all. Unless someone dealt with them. And as much as she respected Ren and Weiss' strength, she knew they were nowhere near strong enough to defeat entire hordes of them stretching for miles. Someone else had been here and killed them all. But who? That was the question that was plaguing her mind. And she knew if she could figure that out and find them, it would most likely lead her to her friends. On guard now, she noticed something. Looking around, there were footprints, far too many to count. Her own footprints were behind her, but these must have been numbering in the hundreds, along with the occasional line of a wheel leaving its mark on the ground.

'Ren, Weiss, what happened?'

Her now frantic worry took control of her emotions as she sprinted forwards, following the tracks closely, only looking up every few seconds to make sure there were no Grimm – or possibly even worse – no humans around.

_I'm going to find you, _she thought to herself. _Just you wait. I'm going to find you and save you. I promise! _


	5. Captivity

'She's a pretty one, isn't she?'

The White Fang officer looked Weiss straight in the eyes, receiving a menacing glare from the snow-haired girl.

'She'll do nicely. The lot of you, get outta here. I'm going to enjoy my time with you,' he said, vilely licking his lips as he smiled at her, before tearing her clothes off with his claws. Noticing her sudden fearful gaze at his fingertips, he held his hand up.

'Tiger Faunus. These things come in handy, don't they?'

Noticing her now nude body, Weiss timidly covered up her important areas.

'Put this on,' the Faunus commanded, tossing her a maid outfit that even in her hands was obviously far too small for her to fit into.

'This isn't big eno-'

SMACK.

The sound of his palm echoing against her face reverberated through the room.

'I didn't give you permission to talk back, did I?'

_I'll kill you, you filthy son of a bitch, _Weiss thought to herself. But even as she thought it, every passing second made it seem less and less likely to come true. This man was in complete and total control, and she knew it.

'Put. It. On. NOW!'

Weiss hurriedly equipped the outfit, not wanting to anger the man further. She could feel the seams start to tear as her arms squeezed through, the dress clamping down hard on her chest almost to the point where it was suffocating. It didn't exactly hide much down there, either, her most private area on full display for the Faunus' enjoyment.

'Now then,' he continued, back to his relaxed tone almost immediately. 'Why don't you dance for me?'

'W-what?'

Weiss furiously blushed at the suggestion, before the Faunus ever so kindly reminded her what happens when she questions his authority, another red mark being deposited on her cheek.

'I said; dance.'

Weiss reluctantly did as she was told, trying to appease him while still doing as little as possible. 'No, no, no, no. That's just not good enough. If you're gonna dance, you've gotta give it oomph!'

With that he grabbed her butt with one hand, his claws painfully digging in as blood began to seep from her behind as he began teaching her how he wanted her to dance. Needless to say, it was rather... erotic, to put it lightly.

After 2 hours of this humiliating treatment, she was permitted to remove the dress and leave his room, but upon exiting the door she was immediately escorted, while still naked nonetheless, to a small dungeon chamber where she was thrown in and her arms were chained to the wall behind her. The man in charge of the dungeon threw her a measly amount of mouldy bread and a raw potato, as well as placing down a tiny bowl of water on the ground in front of her.

'How am I supposed to eat or drink this?' Weiss questioned, her usual defiant attitude returning once more.

'Like the dog you are. You bend over, you pick it up with your mouth, and you enjoy what you're given.

'Can I at least get some bread that isn't covered in mould?' she asked, much gentler this time. The dungeon keeper just laughed to himself as he thought of the events that were soon to come.

'If I were you, I'd be glad you're even getting that and finish it _very _quickly. Your next guest, well... let's just say he's not quite a Schnee fan, shall we? Moments after he told Weiss these words, a man in a leather mask slowly trudged his way down the stairs into the dungeon where Weiss was kept.

'Speak of the devil,' the dungeon keeper said, turning towards Weiss again. 'You know, I almost feel sorry for you. Almost.'

The masked man was trembling with delight as he made his way down the stone steps, the Faunus officers words ringing in his head.

_Do what you want to her. Only two conditions;_

_Don't break her just yet._

_Make sure you don't kill her._

Weiss gulped as she remembered the dungeon keeper's words. Not a Schnee fan? What did he mean? Her head was soon filled with images of exactly what he meant as she saw what the masked man carried with him. A barbed whip, a handful of knives, a syringe filled with God-knows-what – she suddenly realised who this man was.

He was a torturer.

As if on instinct, she began trembling all over, her mumbling slowly getting louder and louder.

'No... please... no... please don't do this... oh God no...'

The door to her cell creaked open agonizingly slowly. Weiss closed her eyes, praying it was all just a dream, tears rolling down her soft, white cheeks. The feeling of a razor sharp pain slicing up her arm told her it was most definitely not a dream, along with an appropriately loud soul-rending scream.

'Whassamatter, pretty girl? You don' like it? Well my family don't exactly like you either, you bitch. Ever since your fuckin' Schnee corporation tore my Papas business down I've been living HELL! It's all thanks to that bitch mother of yours that my mama died working to the bone to feed me! Hope you don't get too comfortable, bitch, cos I'm gonna make you feel ten times the pain my family did after your company fucked us over!'

Weiss was so terrified of the pain and of the anticipation of what was to come, she didn't care about appearances anymore. She didn't care about being the dignified, well-raised girl anymore. She was scared. She was _terrified. _She wanted to go home. She wanted it all to be over. But she knew that that couldn't happen.

'Mommy...'

As she sat in a growing pool of her own urine, she spoke so quietly she wasn't even sure she said it.

'Please save me...'

As the torturer delivered another blow worthy of an ear-shattering scream, she knew.

It was going to be a very long night.

* * *

'Pyrrha? Are you sure this is the right way?'

'This is the way Roman told us to head. He said those White Fang guys caught a couple of kids a few days ago, didn't he Jaune? Don't you think it might be Ren and Nora?'

'I mean... I guess, but how do we know he's telling the truth? Or that we can even trust him at all?'

'Well,' Pyrrha responded sharply, 'for one, he wouldn't have a reason to lie to us. I'm sure he wanted us gone just as much as we wanted to leave, and since he and the White Fang have no reason to work together anymore there isn't any reason for him to send us walking right into a trap. If he really wanted to he could use us to bait the Grimm away, or even keep us alive just to kill some of them. Any way I look at it, he doesn't have a motive for wanting us dead.'

'Well when you put it that way I guess it makes sense. But we've been walking for 3 days and we haven't seen a thing, not to mention it's the dead of night right now! All we've come across are a bunch of low class Grimm. You really think we're going the right way?'

Quickly covering his mouth, and dragging him to the ground, Pyrrha shushed him.

'Look,' she whispered, pointing forwards, where in the distance, they could see a very dim light. A flashlight? Whatever it was, it was definitely artificial, and that meant it belonged to a human. Inching closer, they saw exactly what they had been searching for. They could just barely make it out in the darkness, but there were definitely 2 White Fang members standing guard outside the entrance to a huge complex, one so big they wondered how they didn't see it earlier, even through the darkness.

'Pyrrha, do you think...?'

'Yes, Jaune,' she responded, a small smile crossing her lips. 'I think we're here.'


	6. Rescue?

It had been five days since Weiss and Ren had been captured. Ren had been lucky enough to get away with simple tasks such as scrubbing the floors. He had still been subjected to humiliating trials himself, such as cleaning a toilet with nothing but his tongue, and being forced to bark like a dog whilst being abused, but it was nothing compared to the horror they had forced Weiss through.

She remembered every second of it. She remembered the terror of hearing that the Faunus officer had grown tired of her body. She remembered how her torturer had been given permission on the 3rd day to do whatever he wanted to her, no matter the consequence. At first she thought he would kill her. Then she realised that he didn't want to kill her. At least not yet. He hated her, so he would make her suffer until he was satisfied. Her ordeals kept replaying in her head every single second, all of it at once in a constant loop. A constant reminder that she no longer had any rights. A reminder that she was forever trapped. Even if she tried to forget, the searing pain that covered her body reminded her. Save for her head, not a single part of her body had remained untouched. Scars ran down her arms and legs, and her stomach had been torn open and stitched back together several times, all without anaesthetic. If she passed out, she was whipped until she regained consciousness, and was then punished for her rudeness. The torturer even carved words into her back, his mocking voice ringing in his ear as she screamed from the pain.

_Bitch._

_Slut._

_Whore._

_Cow._

_Pig._

_Filthy cunt._

All of these, and plenty more were torn into her skin. Markings that would never fade. A permanent seal of her capture. To her, it was the brand that showed the world she no longer deserved to be in it. She had even wished that the Faunus officer would take her back, even if it meant being passed around and raped for hours on end. Anything was better than what this man subjected her to. Looking at the now dark sky through the tiny gap in her cell, she knew it was soon. He would be back again. He would hurt her again. And then she heard them.

_Click, clack. Click, clack._

The signature sound of the torturers boots slowly descending the stone steps, into the dungeon she sat, however this time he only had his whip with him, embezzled with several razor sharp jewels. Treasures of his victims, Weiss assumed.

'Ello again,' the torturer whispered in her ear, a twisted smile distorting his face.

'Bet you're happy to see me, aren't ya?'

Weiss didn't respond, or rather, she couldn't. The torture she had been submitted to had rendered her incapable of forming words, only incoherent babble blurting out of her mouth as the man laughed at her pitiful state.

'Tonight's the night,' he said, his greasy hair covering one of his eyes.

Those three words almost sent her insane by themselves. What was he going to do tonight? Why? How? When?

With just three words, a multitude of questions raced through her head. The terrified girl was almost too preoccupied thinking about it to feel the first stinging pain, as the jewels in the whip sliced through her skin, ripping the scar tissue off her body in places. The pain was immense. Normal people would have long been a lost cause by this point, but Weiss was strong. But even she wasn't invincible. She was almost at breaking point. And then it happened. The explosion.

* * *

Nora had followed the tracks all the way to a large compound bearing the trademark symbol of the White Fang. It was as she was about to charge right in the front entrance when she noticed two shadowy figures lurking at the other side. Judging from their actions, they definitely weren't White Fang guards. Other people trying to break in? It was as one of them swiftly launched a spear that instantly pierced the heads of both White Fang guards that Nora realised who they were.

'Pyrrha!' she gleefully shouted from behind the bush she was crouched.

Alertly looking around, Pyrrha took a defensive stance for a second before realising who that voice belonged to.

'Nora?'

They both ran out to meet each other, hugging as they made contact.

'How's my Pyrrhy-wyrrhy been doing while I've been away?' Nora excitedly asked, while almost suffocating the girl between her breasts. Breaking away, Pyrrha responded.

'Well, me and Jaune here,' she began, Jaune appearing as if on cue with a happy smile, 'heard from Roman that the White Fang had captured two kids. We thought it was you and Ren, but you're here so...?'

'You're right about Ren,' Nora stated, disheartened, 'but they have Weiss too.'

'So you met up with Ruby and the rest I take it?' Pyrrha inquired, hoping to hear good news.

'Yeah, but Yang and Ruby aren't in good shape right now so Blake's looking after them. Once we're done here I can take you to them,' she happily stated, returning to her carefree nature once again.

'That sounds good,' Jaune cut in, 'but how are we supposed to get through here? There's nothing but iron bars and thick stone walls.'

A mischievous glint in her eye, Nora smiled at him.

'Stand back,' she warned, as she reading her hammer form before smashing it against the wall, shattering the brickwork into dust.

'Well there goes the quiet way,' Jaune sighed as he realised a lot more White Fang would soon be after them.

'Let's just get in there and get our friends,' Pyrrha told them.

* * *

The dungeon keeper came rushing down in a hurry.

'Intruders! The boss wants your help upstairs, Mal,' he told the torturer.

Malevolently looking back at Weiss, he snarled a warning at her.

'You're lucky. You get to rest for now. But when I come back, I'm gonna give you hell. You hear me?'

Weiss shakily nodded, her fear subsiding. For now.

Dragging his whip in tow, the torturer slowly made his way back upstairs to the main compound. Seeing Ren on his way, he kicked him as he walked past, deeming the man to be in his way despite being about 2 feet away from where he was stood.

'Ah, Maleficent, glad you could take time off your... hobbies to join me,' the officer told the torturer.

'What do you want me to do?'

'Simple. Either capture or kill those brats that just destroyed my wall. I'll leave that one up to you,' he said as he sent Maleficent on his way, spinning his weapon in his fingers as he did so, a spear modified to have a drill rather than a blade for a head. It was also quite a bit thicker than a regular spear.

'She's a tough one alright. Most people completely cave in after just a day with that monster. I'm not sure I want to imagine the stuff he's put her through,' he mumbled to himself, smiling.

* * *

After Nora so graciously blew the door off its hinges with Magnhild, the three of them entered the White Fang complex, looking around as they realised there must have been upwards of 20 people in the entrance hall, all brandishing swords.

'These guys must be the foot soldiers, right?' Jaune whispered to the other two, slightly nervous at the ally-to-enemy ratio in the room.

'Probably,' Nora answered gleefully. 'But who cares? Let's just blow 'em all to smithereens!'

With that, she sent round after round of her grenade launcher into the growing crowd of White Fang members as they began charging at the group.

Pyrrha and Nora easily cleared the way forward, with Jaune using what little control he had over his aura to provide shielding to them, in case stray hits got in. As they burst through another door, however. They saw a man standing in the centre of the room, jewel-embezzled whip in hand. He had obviously been waiting for them, that much the group understood. What they didn't know, however, was why his own _allies _seemed to be keeping their distance. It almost seemed as though they were scared of him. Whoever he was, both Pyrrha and Nora knew he wasn't anything like the grunts they just steamrolled through. They could feel the intense aura emanating from him, the precise control he had over it surpassing even Pyrrha's.

'You lot here for your friends?' the man cockily asked, their lack of response apparently being enough for him to deduce the answer.

'Well too bad. She's _my _toy now. Soon, you will be too.'

'You'll never get your hands on us,' Pyrrha angrily exclaimed, a rare showing of rage coming from her.

'You guys go on ahead,' she told Nora and Jaune, not taking her eyes off the man for a second. 'I'll deal with him myself.'

As the two ran past Maleficent, Pyrrha launched herself towards him so as to prevent him from getting in their way. Swinging his whip at her, she deftly avoided it before slicing her spear up his back, watching as Nora and Jaune made their way through the complex.

_Find them. I'm counting on you guys,_ she thought as she turned back to her opponent, his face now simmering with rage at his injury.

'You'll pay for that, you bitch!'

Furiously swinging his whip down Pyrrha raised her shield to block it before lunging forward with her spear, however the whip created an explosion that sent her shield careering across the room, wedging into a wall at the far side. Already mid attack, it was much too late to dodge as the whip smacked her side with a sickening crack, electric pulses flowing through her body as she was thrown across the floor.

'Dust?'

The sudden realisation that those jewels were not just simple jewels at all was a huge oversight on Pyrrha's part, one that she internally chastised herself for missing. The other major question running through her mind was this;

_How did he hit me?_

With her semblance, if she wanted to avoid attacks it was a trivial matter for her. All she had to do was reverse the polarity of the weapon in question and an object nearby, and the pull would force the two together. The fact that this man could seemingly bypass that troubled her. Gripping her spear, she changed into her rifle form and fired several shots, all of which were blocked by masterful use of the whip.

_So shooting's no good either, huh?_

Realising the only way she was going to win was by striking him whilst manually dodging attacks, she charged forward with the spear blocking every one of his swings with expert skill and retaliating with a lunge of her own, it was there she made her second major miscalculation. She had assumed the whip was the only weapon the man had. As his whip split in two, both tearing down either side of her body, she felt the pain that Weiss had once shared. As her legs were ripped into on either side, she kept a strong grip on her weapon however, plunging it into the mans chest. The look of surprise on his face showed that he also underestimated his opponent, grunting before he collapsed to his knees, and finally fell to the ground. Slowly and carefully walking over to retrieve her shield, the White Fang members all immediately ran for their lives when Pyrrha looked in their direction, seeing how powerful she was after she was able to take down what was essentially a monster in their eyes.

Grimacing in pain, she couldn't get the question out of her head.

_Is my semblance starting to weaken? I've never heard of anything like that happening, but I suppose it's possible... what happened?_

Meanwhile, Jaune and Nora came across a doorway somewhere in the complex, with a sign hanging above it that read 'dungeon.'

'You don't think...?' Jaune began to Nora, before she slowly nodded, a troubled expression on her face. As they walked towards it, they saw Ren, still scrubbing the floor as several White Fang grunts were present, his hands still in chains. He, however, had at least been granted the dignity to keep his clothes on.

'Ren!' Jaune shouted, happy to see his final teammate once again. The White Fang members immediately apprehended them, only to be easily dispatched. As Jaune cut through Ren's chains, he asked the question that he could see Nora was too afraid to ask.

'Where's Weiss?'

His nervous tone made no attempt to hide as he asked the question, and Ren's equally solemn expression did not make him feel any better.

'She's in the dungeon. But, please, be very careful what you say to her. She's... fragile right now, to put it lightly. I don't know what the man with the whip did to her specifically, but it wasn't nice. You might not be ready for what you see in there, so you have to be strong, OK?'

Jaune looked at him uncertainly.

'Are you sure you're talking about me, or are you saying that for yourself?' Jaune asked him, seeing right through him.

'Let's go,' Ren stated, taking a deep breath to prepare himself for whatever he was about to see.

As Weiss heard the footsteps approaching, she cowered into a corner again, covering her head, instinctively sobbing and trying to get away.

'Oh my God...'

Ren covered his mouth, throwing up a little as he saw the state she was in. Not an inch of her skin untouched other than her face, had it not been for that she would have been completely unrecognisable.

'Weiss...' Jaune said as he broke open her cell, gently embracing her, before shedding a tear of his own at her ear-piercing scream of terror. She didn't even recognise him. It hurt. He was filled with sadness for the girl he held feelings for, cutting her free with his sword before gently taking hold of her face.

'Weiss, I'm going to get you out of here. You're going to be fine, OK? We'll all be here for you. That's a promise.'

Gently kissing her on the forehead, he quickly got up and stripped one of the White Fang members, taking the clothes down and tenderly dressing her. She didn't fear his touch anymore, but she still wouldn't stop shaking. For Weiss this feeling was almost alien. She was happy for the first time in almost a week, yet the only thing she could say were incoherent sounds.

'Eh... uh... ah...'

'It's OK, Weiss,' Jaune said as he very carefully guided her with his hand and helped her to her feet.

'Ren, do you know where the armoury is?' Jaune asked, trying to be a leader for once. He wanted to be able to be a strong leader, so his friends wouldn't have to suffer this again. Weiss' wounds didn't hurt when he touched her, thanks to his healing aura. It was a pleasant feeling. One she never wanted to let go.

'I've cleaned all around this place. I could take you right to it.'

'That'd be awesome. We're getting your weapons, and then we're getting out of here.'

Ren nodded, happy to finally escape this prison.

After retrieving their weapons without encountering any White Fang, they hastily made a retreat, meeting up with Pyrrha on the way and making sure to keep Weiss in a peaceful state of mind as they did so. However, near the entrance to the facility Weiss seemed to reach out for Myrtenaster, almost in a state of longing.

'Do you... want this?' Jaune asked, knowing full well he probably wasn't getting an answer. 'Only if you're sure, OK? Be careful. Don't overdo it, Weiss,' he said as he handed her signature weapon back to her.

'So now what?' Pyrrha asked, Jaune contemplating their next move.

'Well, Nora said she met up with Ruby, Blake and Yang, so let's go meet up with them.'

'Yeah,' Pyrrha responded thoughtfully, 'but what about Weiss? It's going to be a big shock to them when they see what happened to her,' she pointed out as they turned to look at the heiress again.

'WEISS?! WEISS!' Jaune screamed almost at the top of his lungs as the white-haired girl held Myrtenaster up to her chin, her hollow-like eyes filled with despair. They thought they had arrived in time. They thought they could all go back together. But Weiss' mind had snapped long ago. This fact was apparent as she drove the blade through her skull, killing herself instantly. The action that Weiss took was the catalyst for them. They realised as they stared in shock at the sight they had just witnessed, as Jaune sobbed uncontrollably on the floor, they realised that the world they were in was not a world of love. It was not a world where 'everything could work out alright.' It was a world of pain, of suffering. And Weiss' death because of the White Fang made them all realise that this world would show them no mercy. And so, they decided to show none back.

As Jaune gathered himself and managed to stop crying, he picked up his sword and shield again.

'Change of plans,' he said, a look of pure determination on his face. 'You guys go to Ruby and the others. I'm going to make sure that son of a bitch gets what he deserves.'

'Jaune, you can't!' Pyrrha started, trying to reason with him before seeing the pain, the anger etched into his eyes. She knew that even she couldn't stop Jaune right now. 'Not alone, at least. I'm coming with you.'

After a brief moment of hesitation, Jaune agreed.

'Fine, but don't get involved. That White Fang is mine.'

Pyrrha nodded to the others as she and Jaune headed back into the building, Ren and Nora carrying Weiss' body outside to prepare a funeral pyre for her. Jaune healed Pyrrha's legs with astounding speed that even surprised himself as he stormed through, cutting down anyone who dared to stand in his path. Pyrrha was understandably worried about him, but also understood his anger. Weiss was a dear friend to her, too, so to see her go to such extremes... she knew whatever these men did to her was unforgivable. As Jaune located the office where the officer sat, he pushed the door open so hard it almost came off its hinges.

'Seems like Maleficent didn't do his job very well,' the man said, unfazed by Jaunes presence.

'The name's Kumal. Nice to meet you,' he said, holding out his hand with a pleasant expression on his face before retracting it as Jaune pointed his sword at him.

'That's a no to the handshake then,' he noted to himself as he walked back to his seat.

'So,' he continued again, popping a bit of gum in his mouth as he spoke, 'what are you after? What do you want here?'

'Your head,' Jaune angrily hissed back, before thrusting his sword at the man as he easily dodged, the sword piercing his leather seat.

'That was my favourite chair,' he exclaimed, walking towards his spear and holding it out in front of him. 'I guess Sangha here will have to teach you some manners,' he said, a more stern look on his face now as he pulled a trigger on the spear. Jaune was right to be surprised, as the drill opened out to reveal the spear was also a gun. A harpoon gun, to be precise, which he found out as it launched across the room, taking Jaune with it as it pierced his neck and pinned him to the wall. Clutching his throat, Jaune struggled to get the harpoon out of his throat before realising he wasn't actually in any pain.

'Don't bother trying to break free. That's a titanium, dust enhanced harpoon connected by nylon thread. Your hands will never be able to yank that free.'

His taunts only served to further fuel Jaune's rage, as he instead braced himself before pulling with all his might against the harpoon.

'I already told you, it's no use-'

He stopped dead in the middle of his sentence as he realised what Jaune was doing. He wasn't trying to move the harpoon. He was trying to rip _his own neck _to break free. And seconds later, he did just that, blood splattering the walls as Jaune stood up, his neck healing at breakneck pace.

_Instant regeneration?_ Pyrrha thought, stunned that Jaune could use such an ability. There were plenty of powerful semblances, but they all required an insane amount of aura to use. Jaune, however, was _continuously _keeping said semblance active.

_How much aura does he have?!_

The White Fang was stunned as well, even visibly scared by the maniacal young man stood in front of him, not even able to move as Jaune cut the man's head off.

'We're done here, Pyrrha. Let's go.'

She could tell he was exhausted, and she was too, but she was too surprised by the incredible display Jaune had just shown her to react.

'Yeah...'

That was the only word she could muster. Not a word more was said as they returned outside, Ren and Nora having finished gathering wood. Jaune gently picked up Weiss' slender body and placed it on the pyre, folding her hands across her stomach and placing Myrtenaster next to her. They all shared a moment before Ren lit the wood. None of them said a word out of respect for Weiss, Jaune's clenched fist showing he still wasn't ready to accept her death. Pyrrha pulled his head towards her shoulder, comforting him. He gladly accepted, hugging her. It was only long after the fire had died out that any of them spoke, starting with Jaune.

'It's not gonna be the same, you know? I might actually miss her snarky comments,' Jaune said through sobs.

'We used to talk about girl stuff whenever we were alone. It was like our little secret,' Pyrrha said with a melancholy smile.

'She was fun to be around. Even though she was serious a lot of the time, she reminded me of Ren,' Nora stated with a sad expression, before blushing slightly as she realised what she just said.

'Me and her used to do silly impressions of people when others weren't looking,' Ren began, sadness even managing to tinge his stoic voice. 'It was one of the things I really loved about her. She always had a fun side, even if she didn't show it.'

After a few more minutes, Jaune spoke up again.

'Let's go. We need to get back to Ruby and the others, right?'

'Right,' Pyrrha answered, as Nora and Ren pointed the way.

They all held hands the whole way back. They didn't dare let go for fear of losing another. The pain of loss was something they didn't want to feel ever again.


	7. Aftermath

_**A/N: In regards to the requests for Weiss to return, I understand that a lot of people were possibly surprised by her death, but it is something I do not wish to change. When I started writing this fanfiction, my goal was to create a world that people truly felt was dangerous, one where 'nobody was safe', so to speak. While I am happy with the fact that many people were upset by her death, as it means that I succeeded as a writer in making people care about a character, I feel if I go back and change that now it would ruin the atmosphere I've been trying to create this whole time. To me it just wouldn't sit right. It would feel too 'Disney', and would ruin the whole threat aspect of the story if I went back to bring her back into the story. There will definitely still be parts of the story revolving around her for people who do wish to keep reading, but this is a decision I do not wish to take back. I understand and will respect your decision if you choose to stop reading, and for those who do I want to thank you for at least reading this far. It means a lot to me to have feedback and people commenting on my story, even if it is not something I personally prefer or agree with.**_

* * *

Following Nora's lead, the group slowly trudged their way back to Ruby and the others, Pyrrha decided to be the one to break the uncomfortable silence that had settled over the group.

'Jaune?' she said lightly, almost as if confirming whether she was allowed to speak, 'where did you learn to do what you did back there?'

'What do you mean?'

'Against that White Fang. You used instant regeneration. I know your semblance is a healing ability, but when did you gain so much control over it?'

She saw the pain etched on his face as she asked that question.

'It was you who told me, Pyrrha. A long time ago, back when we were still at Beacon you told me that extremely strong emotions can sometimes unlock the limits of a person's aura.'

'Yes, but you already need to be able to control aura to some extent before that will happen. Wasn't aura one of your weak points?'

'Again, it was you, Pyrrha. You unlocked my aura for me, remember?'

He was right. Pyrrha was surprised at herself. She was usually the calm, collected strategist of the group. Thinking clearly was her forte. How could she forget something like that? A flurry of questions floated in her head, and a mixture of emotions took over her. She realised that the most prominent was not sadness, nor anger. It was fear.

_Did that man really have such a big impact on me?_

She thought back to her fight with the whip-user and how he was able to hit her, completely ignorant of her semblance.

'Wait.'

Jaune stopped dead in his tracks as he said it. His face lit up for a second.

'That's it!'

'What's it?'

Jaune could see they were confused, so he explained.

'Some people have really powerful semblances, right?'

'Yes,' Pyrrha responded, unsure where he was leading with it. 'What about them?'

'Well I was thinking, there must be someone with a semblance capable of bringing the dead back, right?'

It was like a knife in the heart to Pyrrha. She knew that it was completely impossible, but seeing Jaune get his hopes up like that, she didn't want to upset him further. After briefly thinking about it, she decided to tell him the truth.

'Jaune,' she began, the sad tone of her voice slowly taking the smile from his face, 'I'm sorry. Nobody on Remnant has ever had a semblance capable of bringing back the dead. Even if they did, the aura it would take to perform such a powerful task would kill the user. I'm sorry, Jaune. Weiss is gone. We all hate it. We all want to go back and change it, to save her. But what's done is done. You can't change the past.'

Seeing the disheartened look settle on his face again, she gently put her arms around him.

'It's OK. I know it hurts, but we'll help each other through this, OK?'

'Yeah,' Jaune said, trying to be optimistic, a smile gracing his face for the first time since the incident.

* * *

'They've been gone a long time,' Ruby pointed out. 'Wait, you don't think Nora and the others...?'

Cutting her off, Blake quickly dismissed the suggestion.

'They're fine, Ruby.'

Even Blake didn't really believe her words, and she was sure Ruby didn't either. Yang lay sleeping, taking care to not disrupt her injuries. Ten days had gone by since Nora left to find Weiss and Ren, and Blake was beginning to suspect the worst. Just as she was about to put up for the night, however, she heard a noise outside that sounded an awful lot like footsteps. Grabbing Gambol Shroud she slowly skulked towards the barn door, peeking out before seeing the distant silhouettes of Nora and 3 others.

'It's them!' Blake excitedly shrieked to Ruby and Yang, both shaking alert at the sudden noise, 'They're back!'

Blake ran outside to greet them, happy that they made it back alright.

'You guys are alright,' Blake sighed with relief as she approached the four of them, the worry fading from her mind. 'Where's Weiss?'

Immediately after asking the question, she knew something was very wrong. For one, Nora wasn't being hyperactive. Second, even Pyrrha looked uncomfortable. As sweat starting forming on her brow, she nervously asked again;

'Where's Weiss?'

'Speaking up, her eyes tearing up as she spoke, Pyrrha answered.

'She... uh... she... didn't make it.'

Blake's expression could only be described as stunned.

'...What?'

That was all she could muster. The shock of what she just heard rattled her to her core.

'She... she's gone?'

'I'm sorry, Blake,' Jaune sobbed, 'we tried. God, we tried. But we couldn't help her.'

'If it's alright to ask... how did she die?'

Silence. The group didn't want to answer. They didn't want to admit they gave her the means to end it all.

'Please. I have to know. How did she die?'

'She... she saved my life,' Pyrrha lied. 'She took a hit that would have killed me. There was a guy with a harpoon gun and she willingly took that into her chest to stop it from hitting me while I was down. She died a heroine, Blake.'

Blake let herself crack a smile at the news.

'At least she died with her dignity intact,' she commented.

Jaune felt like saws were slicing into his skin. The pain he felt as he remembered that image, of Weiss slumped on the ground, covered in scars and her own urine, unable to speak or even recognise them... the memory of that image, the once humble heiress reduced to a pitiful pile of broken sanity... it hurt him more than anything. But as much as it hurt, he didn't show it. He knew the others must have felt the same way, but they too stayed strong.

'How are Ruby and Yang?' Jaune said, quickly changing the topic. The less he remembered of Weiss, the better. He was coming dangerously close to just breaking down at the thought of her.

'Not good,' Blake answered quietly. 'Yang's got a broken nose and jaw, and Ruby can't even move her arms.'

'Not a problem,' Jaune said, happy to be able to do something to help, something to take his mind off the event that happened just days ago.

After healing the two of them, Jaune broke the news to them. They shared a very melancholy evening that night, Jaune collapsing due to exhaustion from using his aura so much. The next day, now that everyone was finally healed up, they set out once again in search of a more stable residence. A barn was only going to last them so long. They needed something more permanent. Avoiding the now taboo trail, they veered off towards a different direction instead, eventually coming to a bridge that led towards a location all of them knew, but had never actually seen, let alone visited.

General Ironwood's mansion.

'This bridge doesn't look too safe,' Ruby pointed out, flailing her now fixed arms around in the air, trying to heat herself up as it was quite high up, and so it was fairly cold.

'Ruby, it's literally falling apart. Of course it doesn't look safe,' Yang brashly stated, before trying her luck with one foot, pressing down quite hard.

'It's... actually pretty sturdy,' she informed the others, surprised at how well it held up considering the visual condition of it. Before the others could even tell her to stop, she quickly hurried over to the other side.

'Come on, let's go!' Yang shouted from the opposite side of the ravine.

'Oh no. Nuh uh. Me and heights, not friends,' Jaune stated before being practically dragged across by Pyrrha, screaming like a girl all the way.

'Well, here goes nothing I guess,' Blake said, sounding very bored as she daintily walked over to the other side.

'Hey Yang,' Ruby shouted across, 'on a scale of one to ten, how cliché would it be if this bridge collapsed while we were walking across?'

'I'd give it a solid eight!' she shouted back enthusiastically.

'This is totally gonna fall,' she said sheepishly to Nora and Ren, before successfully traversing it.

'Huh, guess its fine after all.'

Finally, Ren and Nora also made it across fine, the bridge not-so-majestically swaying in the wind.

'Well, I expected that to go horribly wrong,' Ruby said to the rest of them, glad that all of them made it across fine. They began to grow wary, however, as things seemed to be going a little _too _well. There were very few Grimm around as of recent, and they were all fine (physically at least.) Maybe it was all the positive karma they were long overdue, but they were happy to finally get a break from the trauma that they had suffered through the last two weeks. After an hour more walking, they finally reached their destination. In front of them stood the gargantuan mansion that belonged to General Ironwood.


	8. Heat and Hate

Jaune stared in wonder at the colossal structure in front of him.

'This is where he _lives?_ This place is nearly three times as big as my house!'

The building was huge. The main building alone was the size of a small apartment complex, not to mention the size of the grounds and side areas. The front garden was practically a football field, and there was a conservatory on one side of the building that was two storeys high and just as wide, with the logo of Atlas printed on one of the windows, easily visible even from how far away they were.

'Well he definitely likes to do things big,' Blake commented. 'You can't fault him for that.'

Looking at the building, the group wondered how they were going to get past the huge gates that were put up in front of the mansion. They didn't seem as easy to break through as the White Fang facility. Just as they were about to find another way in, the gates opened for them, and not a moment too soon. The group felt like they were going to melt under the blazing sun that shone down from above. Approaching the front door, it too opened as if greeting them. The group sceptically crept closer to the door, before taking a step inside.

'Make yourselves at home,' an unfamiliar female voice shouted from what they could only assume was the kitchen. Feeling much more relaxed, they took a seat on the couch, sinking into its luxurious comfort. It was bliss compared to the conditions they had grown used to over the past few months. It was then that they saw the person who welcomed them in. Leaving the kitchen with a tray of drinks was none other than Cinder Fall, the person who they had met during the tournament at Beacon.

'Cinder?' Ruby asked in surprise, 'what are you doing here?'

'I was running from some Grimm, and I came across this place. Ironwood let me in, but he left soon after with a bunch of guards. He hasn't been back since, so I figured he wasn't coming back. I live here now, along with Emerald and Mercury. At the mention of their names, the two headed down the marble staircase that lay in the middle of the grand entrance hall, greeting Ruby and the others as they did so.

'Do you want anything to eat?' Cinder offered, a calming smile resting on her face.

'Yes, please,' Yang answered, her stomach rumbling on cue.

'Tuna for me if you can,' Blake said, her eyes lighting up at the thought of fish.

'Alright,' Cinder said with a giggle, 'I'll be back soon with food. Emerald, Mercury, would you do the honour of entertaining our guests?'

Happily complying, they sat and talked with the group for a while, before Cinder returned with several platters of food, one filled with just tuna specially for Blake. She was practically drooling as she stared at Cinder carrying it, her mouth watering and ears frantically twitching adorably as she waited. They wasted no time digging in, and after they had had their fill they looked towards Cinder again who had been watching intently as they ate.

'Now this is just a guess,' Mercury chimed in, 'but were you hungry by any chance?'

They gratefully nodded in response, happy to finally get something to eat after days of finding nothing.

'You can stay here as long as you like,' Cinder offered, a smile on her face. 'It'll be nice to have some company for a while.'

While they were sceptical earlier, that soon vanished as they graciously accepted her offer, deciding to take a look around the mansion. Team JNPR looked upstairs at the various bedrooms that lined the corridors, each one as big as an apartment. Meanwhile, Ruby, Yang and Blake looked around the ground floor, marvelling in wonder at the various sculptures and pieces of art, each one worth more than everything they owned as children. The ground floor was mainly for rooms like the kitchen and dining hall, but there were plenty of other rooms as well, in addition to four bathrooms downstairs alone.

'This place is pretty impressive,' Yang said, Blake and Ruby nodding their heads in agreement.

'Yeah...'

Lost for words, the group continued looking around when Ruby noticed a slight tear in the wallpaper in one of the corners.

'That's strange,' she pointed out, gesturing toward the corner of the room with the offending wallpaper, 'Ironwood seems like the kind of guy who'd freak out over something like that,' she added, an uncomfortable feeling resting in her stomach.

'Cinder said he'd been gone for a while and hadn't come back. Maybe she just didn't notice?' Blake suggested, but Ruby was still unsure.

'I've got a really bad feeling about this,' she said as she reached out for it, before tearing the wallpaper back. Sure enough, there was another door hidden behind it, and opening it she found it was pitch black inside. Feeling inside for a light switch of some kind, she eventually found one, flicking it on. What they saw made them sick to their stomach. There, chained to the wall, was a certain General James Ironwood. He barely seemed conscious, but as soon as he noticed them he began to scream through the tape covering his mouth.

'Wha... what the hell happened?' Yang asked, tearing the tape off to allow him to speak, as she began to get to work on his chains next.

'She... Cinder, she...'

His eyes went wide with fear as he stared at the entrance.

'So, you found this place, did you?'

Cinder's calm voice sent chills down Ruby's spine as she said those words.

'I had hoped to keep this a secret from you, but I guess that's not really an option now.'

'Cinder,' Ruby angrily began as she turned to face her, 'what the hell is going on? Why is Ironwood chained to the wall?'

Her fists clenched, the fury on her face evident as she waited for her explanation.

'You don't know, do you?'

Ruby was surprised at Cinder's statement.

'You don't have any idea what this man has done, do you?'

After brief hesitation, Ruby replied with a simple, 'no.'

'Ironwood,' she began, shooting him a hateful look as she did, 'did horrible things to me and my family. He ruined my life. When I was 6 years old, he ordered the deaths of my parents. He accused them of being mass murderers, which was never proven nor disproven, but as the case stands my parents were guilty. I know they weren't, and Ironwood knew just as well, but he ordered their execution anyway. Then, he took me and my sister in out of 'pity.' My sister never found out about what he did after that, and I'm glad she didn't. When I was 9 years old, he raped me for the first time. This carried on for years, until I turned 15, and even then the only reason he stopped was because he had to sort out matters in a different kingdom. By the time he came back, me and Summer were long gone.'

The name she uttered sent shockwaves through Ruby's body.

'Summer? As in, Summer Rose?' she nervously inquired, both wanting to know the answer yet at the same time afraid of the truth.

'You knew her?' Cinder responded, her eyes widening at the recognition of her sister's name.

'She's my mother,' Ruby informed her, Cinder taken aback at the revelation.

'I thought you looked similar, but I'd never have guessed she had children. I guess it's about right, though. She was ten years my senior so it makes sense for her to have kids. She always did like children,' she said in a wistful tone.

'Anyway. That's my story. After I left Ironwood, I searched the out anyone who would take me in. Of course, nobody would. Everyone was too scared of the name Ironwood to risk his wrath. Soon after I changed my name, got a hold of some dust and applied it to my clothing so I didn't look like myself and searched out the White Fang. And well, everything else you already know.'

The girls didn't know what to say. They were stunned by her story. They didn't even know if it was true or not, but they still believed her.

'Look, I understand you're angry,' Blake began to say, 'but this is wrong, Cinder. Let him go. If you don't learn to move on you'll never be able to forget your past,' she reasoned.

'Shut it,' Cinder harshly responded, breaking her usual calm demeanour. 'You don't know anything about what the world was like back then. Typical Faunus, trying to push their beliefs on everyone else. That's how the White Fang was so easy to control. Make them believe something and they'll blindly follow it to the end.' Blake was visibly furious, her teeth baring slightly as she tried to contain her anger. Ruby slowly reached for Crescent Rose, Blake doing the same for Gambol Shroud.

'Ironwood is staying right where he is,' Cinder continued. 'If you insist on opposing me you can join him!'

Raising her hand, she used a vial of red dust to create an explosion that knocked the three of them flat on their backs, before pulling a lever on the wall that caused a huge trapdoor in the floor to open up, dropping them around 20 feet into a giant room lit with torches. Landing with a thud, they all groaned as they slowly stood up, horror etching itself on their faces as they realised where they were. Looking around, there were five cages in the room with them, each one containing an S-Class Grimm. After around a minute, they saw the unconscious bodies of team JNPR drop into the pit as well, but luckily no serious harm was caused by the fall. Skeletons of previous contenders littered the floor as the girls realised what was about to befall them.

'I do hope you enjoy the attractions we've got for you,' Cinder said with a cackle.

'And as for you,' she said, staring directly at Ruby, 'I expect you to at least give me a good show before you die. Being Summer's bitch you can at least do that much, can't you?' she taunted, a twisted smile on her face as she walked away, presumably to watch from a more comfortable position.

Moments later, the cages opened one by one, setting the 5 S-Class Beowolves loose into the chamber.

'So, Blake, this is the part you tell me you've got a plan, right?' Ruby nervously chuckled to her, the three of them aiming their weapons at the Grimm in front of them.

'I really wish I could,' she replied, fear tingeing her voice as her breathing grew slightly erratic.

Yang charge at one of the Beowolves, firing her Ember Celica as she ran, but as soon as she came within range of the creature it simply swatted her to one side, sending her crashing into the wall before lumbering over to dine on its catch. Ruby and Blake didn't know what to do. They didn't have nearly enough strength to fight off the creatures in front of them. It took four of them just to defeat a single S-Class, so beating five of them with three people was a gargantuan task. The Beowolf that defeated Yang began to tear into her stomach, the ear-piercing scream of pain that filled the room causing great distress to Ruby, who just crouched down covering her ears, hoping it would end. Defeat seemed inevitable, and just as they were ready to give up, another person appeared in the chamber through what seemed to be a red and black portal. With what little consciousness Yang had left, she recognized the woman as Raven Branwen, the Beowolves turning to look at what they saw as another easy meal, before Raven changed her sword to blue, before gracefully spinning it above her head, creating a circular shockwave that decapitated the Grimm in the room.

'You really need to stop getting in these situations,' she said as she walked towards Yang before changing her sword to green and stabbing her. The others looked in amazement as Yang's wounds began to heal at extraordinary speed, reminiscent of what Jaune did to them.

'T-thanks,' Yang said, standing up good as new. 'But, how did you do that? And... who are you?'

'My sword, Spectrum, has a lot of different abilities depending on the kind of dust is applied to it. As for who I am-'

'You're related to her, aren't you?' came an annoyed voice from within the chamber.

They turned to see none other than Cinder walking towards them with a disdainful look on her face.

'You're one of Summer's, aren't you?'

Raven's slight smile at the name confirmed her suspicions.

'Correct. I'm her daughter, to be precise,' she said, looking back at Yang. 'In fact, I'm Yang's twin sister.'


	9. Fighting, Running, Playing

'You're my twin? Yang said, her jaw hanging in disbelief as Ruby added her own comment.

'You're Summer's daughter? Wait, so that means you're my...?'

'Elder sister, yes,' she calmly replied, never taking her eyes off Cinder as she spoke.

'What are you doing here?' Cinder asked, her usual calm demeanour long gone as she tapped her foot impatiently, waiting for her answer.

'A better question would be; why are you trying to kill these people?' Raven responded, completely focused on the woman who stood before her.

'They were trying my patience. I will not allow people to interfere with Ironwood's punishment.'

Jaune and the others were also beginning to rouse from unconsciousness at this point, before jolting up, unaware of the situation.

'What the hell was that for?' he screeched angrily, before noticing the tense atmosphere that permeated the air, not saying another word.

Cinder and Raven stared each other down, Raven slowly reaching for her blade. Cinder noticed this action and immediately launched a fireball at her, but Raven easily sliced through it, her blade now taking on a golden colour. She was about to swing at Cinder, now being within range of her before out of the corner of her eye she saw a person flying toward her. Taking a quick step back she narrowly avoided the kick, Mercury's foot being inches away from her face.

'Sorry,' he said in a condescending tone, 'but I can't just let you hit attack her like that. You want to fight her, you've got to go through us first,' he continued, gesturing towards Emerald as the two of them readied their weapons. Sighing, Raven put her sword away and changed it to purple, before quickly slicing through the air, creating a pulse of energy that launched the two of them off their feet. Seeing her opportunity, she switched her blade back to blue before launching another attack at Cinder, who deftly side stepped despite Raven's speed.

'Come now, you can do a lot better than that,' Cinder taunted, her casual smile returning to her face once more, almost as if mocking Raven.

'You always were annoying to deal with,' Raven commented, clutching her sword tightly in her hands. 'I always did hate that semblance of yours. Being able to predict your opponents moves is an annoying ability to deal with.'

'Speak for yourself,' Cinder snarled back, 'your semblance lets you slow down time in a small area around you,' she commented. 'If you manage to get anywhere near me I'm done for,' she said, almost with a tone of worry in her voice. Mercury and Emerald were both recovering from Raven's previous attack now, causing her to take a defensive stance once more. Her sword was powerful, but it was not without its limits. Through their encounters in the past, Cinder knew nigh every weakness of Spectrum, and that was a fact that Raven was certain of. That included the fact that using the pulse of aura from her blades blue dust augment could only be used once a day due to the huge amount of aura needed to create such a powerful physical attack, and her golden blade was useless against several foes, as it absorbs power from objects it collides with and reflects it back at the attacker, including all dust based attacks. This forced Raven to fight on the back foot, as her sword was mainly utility based rather than offensive. Thinking quickly, she gave a warning to Ruby and the others.

'When I tell you to run, RUN.'

Unaware of what she meant by that, they were unnerved but nonetheless trusted Raven. She had just saved all of their lives after all. Raven ran at the wall behind the group and swung her blade into it, shattering the rock wall as if it was nothing, before quickly turning back to Cinder, her blade turning black. Cinder obviously didn't know what it was, judging from the slightly fearful expression on her face.

'Alright guys. RUN!'

They wasted no time taking her advice, and as she said that she swung her blade at the ground directly under her feet, rupturing the ground underneath it. The force created blew Cinder, Mercury and Emerald against the opposite wall and sent Ruby and the others catapulting out the entrance she had created in the wall. The reason for her warning soon became obvious – the chamber they had just been standing in practically exploded due to the force of the strike that Raven delivered, collapsing in on itself. As the group stared with a mixture of both disbelief, awe and worry, a few minutes later a familiar red and black portal opened up next to them and out stepped Raven, completely unharmed.

'Is she...?' Jaune began, before Raven interrupted him.

'No. She's not dead, if that's what you're asking. Remember what I said about her semblance? She can predict my moves. She knew what was coming, so unfortunately she'll get away this time. Her two henchmen too.'

'What about Ironwood?' Ruby asked, hoping he was alright.

'He's fine. I made sure to get him out of there immediately after I attacked, so he's safe. I'm sorry, but you guys are going to be on your own for a while as well. I have a lot of things to do. Things you're better off not knowing about, if I'm going to be entirely honest. Good luck.'

Before they could ask her anything, she was gone almost as quickly as she appeared.

'Well,' Ren started, 'that was definitely... interesting, to say the least.'

'She's my sister?' Yang mumbled to herself, still surprised by the events that had transpired in the chamber.

'Mine too,' Ruby chipped in. 'Anyway, let's just get going. We still need to find somewhere to stay the night,' she reminded them.

They continued on their journey once more, and after around an hour Yang noticed Blake was clutching her chest a lot and breathing fairly heavily.

'You OK, Blake?'

'Yeah,' she responded, slightly out of breath. 'My chest is just a little sore. When Raven used that black blade earlier I landed pretty hard on my front so it's just been a little bit painful, that's all. It's nothing major.'

'Still, I think it would be a good idea to take a break,' Jaune said, worried. Images of Weiss flashed into his head as he looked at her. That was the last thing he wanted or needed, especially so soon after she'd passed away.

'Want me to take a look at it?' he offered, realising his semblance could be put to good use here.

'Yeah, go ahead,' Blake responded, her ears twitching cutely in happiness as the pain faded, her bruises healing thanks to Jaune's regeneration.

'Thanks.'

That was the only word she could offer, the pain all but a distant memory thanks to him. After a few more hours of walking, the group came across a small cottage on the edge of a mountain, still stocked with food and fresh water.

'I wonder who lived here before all this happened?' Nora curiously asked, before excitedly going to explore.

'Yeah,' Blake continued, 'it's rare to see people even leave the city walls unless they're Hunters, so for a civilian to be living out here? I can't imagine who would want to.'

After they ate a small meal and had something to drink, they spent their first comfortable night in a long time, peacefully sleeping close to one another, not a care in the world.

Little did they know that their peace would very soon be shattered once again, those dark eyes stalking them through the night.

'I found youuuuuuu...' a playful voice whispered from the trees.

'Let's play a little game, shall we?'


	10. One Hour

It was a calm, starry night. Cardin stared upwards into the night, the cool air brushing against his face. The rest of his team were resting in a small cave they'd found, but Cardin couldn't sleep so he decided to stay outside and stargaze instead. Despite his rough exterior, he actually quite liked a few of the gentler things in life. Heaven forbid his team find out about it, though. They'd never let him hear the end of it if they found out their leader was such a wuss. After around half an hour, he felt his eyes slowly begin to close, and letting sleep take over he passed out right there on the grass.

'NO!'

Waking with a shout, Cardin was sweating heavily. It was a recurring trauma from his childhood. He occasionally had these nightmares, memories of a man who beat him and scared him half to death as a young child.

'What's up, Cardin?'

Looking over to the cave entrance, Dove was walking over to him.

'It's nothing.' He tried to brush it off, but Dove knew much better than that. He wasn't an idiot.

'Seriously, what's wrong? I won't tell the others.'

Contemplating, Cardin decided to tell him.

'I've had this nightmare for years,' he started, a defeated look on his face. 'When I was a kid, there was this guy. He used to threaten and hurt me. Take stuff from me, stuff like that. Anyway, this guy used to beat the shit out of me. I still don't know why he did it, but he must have had some reason. Then one day, he just vanished. He was a Hunter so everyone assumed he must have died on a mission, but I don't buy it. He was way stronger than any Hunter I knew. He's alive, somewhere.'

'Is that why you became a Hunter? For revenge?'

'Yeah,' Cardin sorrowfully responded. 'I want payback for what that asshole did to me.'

Just as their conversation was coming to an end, they heard a terrified scream coming from within the cave. Seconds later, Sky came running out, a look of horror on his face.

'IN THE CAVE! THERE'S AN-'

He was interrupted by a thick feather piercing his stomach, before quietly stuttering his last words.

'There's... an SSS-Class...'

Cardin and Dove were shocked. They immediately got to their feet, and saw the terrifying presence of a woman with the faint appearance of a Nevermore. Sure enough, an SSS-Class Grimm. Dove and Cardin ran like hell, but the Grimm easily out-paced the two of them. Cardin kept running, only stopping when he heard Dove's pained scream.

'Don't stop! Just keep going!'

Cardin slowly turned around, and even through the mask he saw the look in the Grimm's eyes. It was borderline psychotic. It sent chills up his spine. Frozen in fear, he helplessly watched as the Grimm ripped Dove's head off with a single hand, before proceeding to start eating his body right in front of him.

'He's good... but he's a little too tender,' the Grimm snarled, a strange distorted voice ringing through the air, as they looked up, her eyes meeting with Cardin's once more. He tried to slowly back away, but it was no use. Almost instantaneously, the Grimm was on top of him, pinning him to the ground.

_No... it can't end like this! I still haven't paid that Taiyang bastard back for what he did to me as a child!_

A flurry of thoughts raced through his mind as the Grimm leant in ever closer, not even granting him the dignity of dying first before she sank her teeth into one of his eyes. His agonizing scream rang through the night as blood poured down his face, the Grimm ravenously tearing his flesh off his face, barely chewing before swallowing. Minutes later, the only thing remaining was a skeletal pile where Cardin had once lay.

* * *

'Not enough...' the Grimm said to herself, searching out into the wilderness for more prey. She shivered in delight at the thought of the next game she would 'play' with her victims. Soon after, she overheard voices talking, and heading towards them saw a group of seven people. They soon stopped at a small house, and headed inside. The Grimm waited around four hours to ensure they were asleep before making her move.

'I found youuuuuuu...'

'Let's play a little game, shall we?'

She quietly snuck into the house, using her aura to place them all in a state of hypnosis so they wouldn't wake unless she wanted them to, and one by one she carried them all to the place she lived. It was practically a labyrinth, deep in the heart of Grimm territory so Hunter's had a very hard time just reaching the place, let alone mapping it out or escaping. She playfully wrote them all a note, each one reading the same thing;

'You have one hour to escape! If you can't find the exit by then, too bad! You'll be my food! Have fun!'

Once the seven of them were all placed in separate locations in the labyrinth, she removed the hypnosis.

'AAH!'

Ruby woke with a jolt, relieved that she had woken from her nightmare. She soon realised, however, that she was neither in the house she had fallen asleep, nor anywhere near her friends. Panicking she fumbled around the pitch blackness before catching her hand on the note.

'What the...?'

Squinting, just barely able to make out the words, her expression went from one of confusion to horror in an instant.

'One hour?' She immediately got up and tried to scale the wall with Crescent Rose before realising it wasn't with her. It must have still been behind at the house, so she carefully crept through the labyrinth, desperately searching for the exit. Time was running out.

Of the seven in the labyrinth, Pyrrha found herself outside with extraordinary speed, escaping in just 9 minutes.

'Oh wow, I didn't expect anyone to even make it outside, let alone this fast! You're pretty good,' the feminine voice taunted.

'Who's there?' Pyrrha shouted out, worried for her friends but at the same time wary of the mysterious voice.

'Don't worry, I won't kill you. You _did _earn your freedom after all. The door on the left will be your way out,' the voice told her. Wondering what she meant, Pyrrha then noticed there were two doors in front of her, and the left one was open. She saw all of their weapons in a pile next to the exit, and grabbing Miló and Akoúo̱ she cautiously headed through it.

A pair of watchful golden eyes monitored both the Grimm's and Pyrrha's movements from close by, managing to hide from even the Grimm.

'What the hell?'

That was all Pyrrha could say as she found herself back where this nightmare had began – Beacon Academy.

The next person to escape was Ren, being his calm, collected self he made it out in 22 minutes. The Grimm grunted in discontent as she pointed him towards the right hand door, taking Storm Flower with him. However, he found himself not at Beacon, but instead he turned up on the outskirts of Vale, an area the Grimm had a lot of control over. He decided to wait just in case anyone else came through his door, readying his weapon for any Grimm encounter he might have.

One by one, the group found themselves heading through the doors, weapons in hand. Left, then right, then left, then right, until finally –

'DIIIIIING DOOOOOONG!'

The female Grimm's voice rang through the labyrinth, and Jaune may have been an idiot, but even he knew what that meant.

'Time's up, huh?'

He sank to his knees as he reached the exit, just out of time. Looking up, he saw the Nevermore Grimm slowly walking towards him before accepting defeat.

'There's no way I can beat an SSS-Class,' he said to himself, knowing exactly what was coming.

'Dinner time,' the Grimm said as she got ever closer to him. Jaune closed his eyes in anticipation for his inevitable doom, but it never came. He looked up, and what he saw made him want to cry in happiness, but also shocked him beyond belief. What he saw...

'...Weiss?'

He was lost for words. He had so many questions. It was most definitely her standing before him, but he didn't know how. The Grimm dropped to the floor, dead.

'It's me, Jaune,' she said, her eyes full of sadness and happiness all at the same time.

'But we... we burned your body... how are you...?'

'I was watching you while I was dead,' she calmly stated, slowly approaching him. 'You said it yourself. A semblance that can bring the dead back. A person died to bring me back. My body was rebuilt using their cells. The fact my original body was cremated didn't matter. I don't need that one,' she informed him. 'This new body of mine is much stronger, faster and better than the one I had anyway. In a way, it's a blessing.'

Jaune was surprised at how calm she was. The shock of being brought back to life would be one thing, but she didn't even seem to care that a person gave their life for her.

'Are you... are you really Weiss Schnee?'

'Of course I am, you idiot! Geez, you really know how to get on my nerves, don't you?' she answered playfully, handing him Crocea Mors.

'Come here, you doofus.'

With that, she gave him a heart-warming hug before he felt something stab him in the stomach.

'What...?'

Jaune stared in surprise, as Weiss began to change right before his eyes.

'A semblance that can bring the dead back? Please, don't make me laugh! And as if anyone would give their life for that bitch in the first place!'

A tear streaked down his face as she changed into a Saberfang. An SSS-Class Grimm.

'I thought it was too good to be true,' he said as his aura attempted to counteract the wounds the Grimm was dealing him, but to no avail.

'This really is the end, isn't it?'

'Don't worry,' the Grimm mockingly comforted, 'you'll see your friends soon enough. You were ready to be harvested. Once your friends have reached that state, I'll make sure to claim them too. You can all be together in your land of make-believe where everything is possible and everything is fine. Jaune started to lose consciousness, his body unable to sustain itself for much longer as his aura wore thin.

_I'm sorry, guys. I'm really just a stupid idiot after all. Just... make sure you live on. Don't you dare follow me to the grave!_

His final thoughts were filled with some comfort, as the image of being able to see and speak to Weiss again ran through his mind.

_I'll be there soon, Weiss. Wait for me. You don't have to be alone any longer._

With that, his heart came to a final beat, before he finally ceased to be.

Meanwhile, Ruby, Pyrrha and Yang at Beacon, and Nora, Ren and Blake on the outskirts of Vale, not knowing which of the others survived, if any, set out again, certain that nobody else was coming.


	11. Déjà vu

'Kinda crazy, ending up here after everything, huh,' Yang said, looking around the halls of Beacon. Not much had changed, save for a few bodies that were gone since the last time they were there.

'Seems like the Grimm cleaned out the place,' Ruby commented, unable to get the images out of her head. What she saw that day would stay with her forever. Those horrible sights of their friends dying, their horrifying screams... those were moments that would stay with each of them forever. Pyrrha was leading the group as they walked towards the exit. They wanted to leave as quickly as possible, but before they made it to the foyer a sword swung directly in front of them, destroying the wall to their right. Had it not been for Pyrrha's lightning fast reactions and her semblance, she would have lost her head in that moment.

'What the hell?!'

The rare angered outburst from Pyrrha told her attackers that they had got the wrong target. Stepping out from the corridor, Yatsuhashi showed himself, followed quickly by Fox, Velvet and Coco.

'May I ask what that was for?' Pyrrha said in a very annoyed tone, still a little flustered over the sudden assault.

'Sorry,' Coco sheepishly apologised, 'it's just ever since the Grimm attacks we've been a little on edge. You know how it is, with humanity going to shit over all this,' she answered, cautiously poking her head out the doorway, peeking into the entrance grounds of Beacon as she spoke.

'So, you guys have searched all around this place, right?' Yang cut in, hoping to hear some good news.

'Yeah, that's pretty much it,' Coco answered, 'nothing much here anymore though. Unless of course you count rubble, some rotten food and silence as something.'

Taking a deep breath, she continued.

'So, what brings you back here?'

'Well, we... don't honestly know how we got here. One second we were in some pitch black labyrinth, the next we were walking through a door and ended up here,' Ruby explained.

'Wait,' Fox cut in, 'you mean you were in the Pan mountains?'

'Pan what?'

Ruby's confused expression told Fox that she definitely had no idea of the geography outside of Vale, so he explained.

'The Pan mountains are a bunch of mountains to the north of Vale. They're noted for being extremely dangerous to even the most skilled of hunters, and supposedly there's a huge labyrinth right in the middle of one of them. Nobody knows how it got there or who built it, but the story goes that whoever escapes the labyrinth will be given a choice of two doors, and then they end up in some random location. Does that sound about right?'

'Actually that sounds exactly like what happened,' Pyrrha added.

'Moving on,' Coco said, a slight frustrated tone taking over her voice, 'you guys are very lucky. Or unlucky. I'll leave that one for you to decide.'

'What do you mean?' Yang asked, to which Coco quickly gave her an answer.

'We've received radio broadcasts on this,' she said, holding up a small receiver attached to Fox's clothing. 'Radio broadcasts that are searching for survivors. It's a group of people who made it out of the attacks, and they're building a small city up over in Vacuo. They've been broadcasting steadily for around 2 months now, around once a week. Only problem is, the route there has gone to shit. S-Classes and higher are crawling all over the place. On land they are at least. If we can get ourselves a boat, we can haul ass over the sea to Vacuo, and this group of people is going to stop sending out these broadcasts soon, they said so themselves. That means if we want to keep tracing them, we have to get over there before these broadcasts stop. So, we're going to leave for Vacuo right now. No brakes, no stopping to worry about anyone else. If you're slow, you get left behind. We're going to get over there, and when we do, we're going to build that city from the ground up. I'm gonna kill every last one of those fucking Grimm if it's the last thing I do, but to do that I need allies. So, tell me. Are you with us, or are you not?'

Yang, Pyrrha and Ruby looked at each other, surprised and conflicted over their other friends, but inside they all knew they had come to the same conclusion.

'Let's go,' the three of them said in unison.

_They'll be fine._

_They'll find a way over there, I'm sure of it._

_Don't you dare die! We'll see each other again! I'm going to grab some allies and bring you all back with me! That's a promise!_

Setting off on their journey, they made their way through the eerily quiet streets of Vale.

'I never realised it was this creepy when people weren't around,' Yang nervously commented.

'Oh, there's gonna be plenty more creepy stuff ahead,' Coco said with a laugh. 'Just you wait and see. You haven't seen anything yet.'

They walked for hours. The girls' legs hurt from all the walking, but they didn't complain. It was nothing compared to the hells they had endured up to now, and they weren't going to let a simple trek get the better of them. After a while, Velvet hurriedly dragged them all to the ground.

'What is it?' Coco whispered to her, her eyes darting around to see the source of Velvet's worry.

'I heard footsteps. A lot of them.'

'How many are we talking here?'

Concentrating for a few seconds, Velvet replied;

'About 300 people.'

Coco's eyes widened in shock.

'How can she tell?' Yang whispered into Coco's ear, mindful of the information they had just received.

'Velvet might not look it, but she's a genius. Math is one of her strongest points. When it comes to counting stuff like this I've never seen anyone work so fast or accurately. Underneath those adorable ears of hers is a Faunus supercomputer.'

Velvet adorably blushed at the compliment, before recoiling in shock.

'What is it? What's wrong Velvy?'

"Velvy" was the sort of cute nickname they expected Coco to have for her, but the person saying this was none other than Yatsuhashi, who had so far been silent other than that phrase. It was slightly jarring to see a person who at first glance looked so intimidating to have such a kind side. Yang and Ruby were both shamefully looking at each other, realising how wrong they were to stereotype him as the tough bad boy of the group.

'They've captured four people,' Velvet shakily answered, a sad tone in her voice. 'I can hear four people being dragged across the dirt, so it's possible there are more. But there are definitely at least four.'

'Well what are we waiting for?' Coco confidently told the others, 'let's go get them out of there.'

Pyrrha was shaking in fear. She realised the situation was very reminiscent of when the White Fang held Ren and Weiss, and how that situation ended still weighed heavily on her mind.

'Pyrrha? Are you OK?' Yang asked her, extending her hand towards her as an offer to take her hand.

'This... it's exactly like what happened with Ren and Weiss,' she told them. 'A large group of people, captives...'

'Pyrrha,' Coco chipped in, her gentle voice soothing her slightly, 'if you want to sit this one out none of us will blame you. I don't know what you've been through in the past, but it must have been something serious to scare you like this. Nobody will blame you if you don't want to do this,' she said, her words calming Pyrrha down somewhat.

'Thank you,' Pyrrha responded gratefully, 'I'll keep watch for any Grimm or reinforcements, I suppose. The last time it was the White Fang. If it's them again... I don't want to see the horrible things they did again.'

'Don't worry, Pyrrha. It's fine. Fox, Yang, I want you two to go with Pyrrha.'

'Of course,' Fox answered, Yang soon following suit and agreeing to it.

'As for the rest of us,' Coco started again, 'let's go kick some ass.'


	12. Mixed Feelings

Blake, Ren and Nora tirelessly trekked onwards, hoping to at least find some solace in a warm place to spend the night. Alas, after hours of walking the only thing they'd found were the occasional Grimm encounters and more eerie dense woodland, the occasional howls and growls not serving to lower the groups tension at all.

'Where are we even going?' Blake quietly asked, keeping an ear out for any sounds just in case they had an uninvited guest.

'Well,' Ren began, thinking as he spoke, 'there is a place not too far from here, about two hours walk that we could go to. It's just a case of whether you feel comfortable going there,' he said, directing his statement at Nora as well as Blake.

'Where were you thinking?' Blake cautiously asked, already having a vague idea of the place he had in mind.

'The Schnee estate.'

Blake stopped dead in her tracks. She suspected that was the case, but she wanted to be wrong. How could she face the Schnee family? To Blake, she didn't feel she deserved to be in their presence. She was a former White Fang member who had actively worked against the Schnee Dust Company, and she was also part of the team their prestigious daughter was on. She couldn't help but think that maybe, just maybe if she had gone with Nora that night, maybe Weiss would have lived. Maybe she wouldn't be living with this guilt. But in the end, it was still just 'maybe.'

'You guys can go,' Blake told them solemnly, 'I don't deserve to be there.'

'Now it wouldn't do to leave a young girl such as yourself out here all alone, would it?'

The three of them immediately turned around, and were surprised to see the familiar face of none other than Ozpin there, trademark coffee cup in hand.

'Ozpin?' Ren exclaimed, baffled by his presence. 'What are you doing here?'

'I'm actually taking care of the Schnee family currently. I keep watch over the south of the main house, and just so happened to overhear you.'

Blake turned away from him, not wanting to hear his next words.

'Blake, I understand the death of your friend weighs heavily on your mind. I understand that you probably blame yourself for her death. But you are not at fault. You had no idea what would happen to her, and even if you did you might not have been able to stop it. Come with us, Blake. We'll sort things out at the manor.'

* * *

Taking his advice, they made their way over to the Schnee household. It was gargantuan, easily bigger than Ironwood's mansion, with a huge iron fence surrounding it.

'Ozpin here,' he spoke into a receiver at the front gate as it opened to greet him. Turning back to the others, he gestured for them to go inside.

'You aren't coming?' Blake asked, still nervous about facing Weiss' parents.

'I have to go round the other three up.' Before they could ask him what he meant, he was gone. Taking a deep breath, Ren led the way indoors, an excited Nora following closely behind.

'I hope everything works out,' Blake said to herself, before also heading into the manor. The interior was just as impressive as the outside, a huge crystalline chandelier decorating the ceiling, with several ice sculptures and marble statues dotting the entrance hall.

'The Lady and Lord of the manor are currently resting,' a butler informed the three of them. 'Please, make yourselves at home. We have prepared rooms for you in advance.'

'Thanks,' Blake answered, her limbs sore from her travels, Ren and Nora sharing the feeling of gratitude. They were each escorted to their own room, although Nora insisted on sharing with Ren, claiming she felt scared to sleep on her own. Blake passed out almost immediately, happy to have a comfortable bed to sleep in for once.

The next morning, the three of them headed downstairs to meet the Schnee family and the other three people Ozpin mentioned.

Weiss' mother was sat daintily on a fancy sofa, one which Blake didn't even want to imagine the price of. She looked very high-class, with a velvet dress and matching silk gloves, her dress seeming embezzled with jewels. The man they could only assume to be Weiss' father sat next to her, in a white business suit and slicked back hair. The two of them looked very proper. And then there was a young girl next to them, presumably Winter Schnee. She was beautiful, her white hair practically glowing. She definitely resembled her sister, which only made Blake feel even guiltier about what had happened to her. Winter took a single look at her, before uttering a single phrase that shook Blake to her core.

'She's dead, isn't she?'

The three of them didn't know what to do, all just frozen in place.

'Winter! Enough of that nonsense! Our daughter can handle herself, thank you very much.'

Weiss' mothers outburst gave Blake a sick feeling in her throat.

_How can I tell them? I can't just say 'yes, she's dead,' but I can't ignore her... what do I do...? Someone... anyone... help me... please..._

She tried to choke out the words, but she couldn't say anything. In the end, Ren was the one who came out with it.

'We're sorry... we did everything we could...'

The three of their hearts nearly shattered in sorrow as they watched her face slowly turn to an expression of horror.

'No... you're lying... you're lying to me...'

Tears streamed down her face. Winter seemed prepared for it, judging by the look on her face. She knew already that her sister was gone.

'Get out...'

'Noel, that's enough.'

Blake, Ren and Nora hadn't even realised there were others in the room with them before they heard that. Looking around, they saw Ozpin and Glynda, along with two people they didn't recognise. One of them had silver hair and carried a scythe much like the one Ruby wielded, the other having long, flowing crimson hair and eyes as silver as the other mans hair.

'Noel,' Ozpin said again, 'these people did everything in their power for your daughter. You can't just cast them out like that.'

'How do I know that? As far as I know, they could be the ones who killed her! GET OUT OF MY HOUSE!'

Her pained screeches were a sound they would never forget. The sound of a grieving mother tearing herself inside over the loss of a daughter... it was something that would haunt them for as long as they lived.

'I want them out! NOW!'

'Very well,' the silver haired man said, 'but I'm going with them.'

'I'll be going too,' the red-haired lady added, 'I've been meaning to get out there anyway. It's been a pleasure being with you.'

Noel said nothing more. She just cried into her hands, distraught over the news of her daughter. Winter sorrowfully accepted the news, and her father was still in shock. He had barely moved since Ren had mentioned Weiss' fate.

'Are you sure you want to leave, Qrow?' Ozpin queried, 'it's a very dangerous world out there now.'

'I'll be fine. Besides, if anything happens I've always got Summer here to protect me, right?'

'As you wish,' Ozpin said, sending them off with a faint smile. It was only outside that Blake realised what Ozpin had said.

'Wait, Qrow? Summer? As in...?'

'Ruby's mother and uncle, yes,' Qrow answered nonchalantly. 'It's a pleasure to meet you. Sorry about things getting a little hectic back there, obviously it's a bit of a touchy subject for her.'

'How can you stay so calm about all of this?' Ren asked, his usual stoic nature returning.

'We have to be. Hunters face death every single day. If we weren't calm, we'd break down in the middle of battle. Fear, sorrow... all of those are invalid points when fighting for your life. Either you live, or you don't. If you can't put those emotions out of your head, you die. If you die, you can't live to feel those emotions again someday. So we block out emotional pain and trauma, all for the purpose of being able to fight Grimm.'

He looked over at Ren, and gave him a warm smile, seeing that Ren was satisfied with his answer. After walking in total silence for a while, Nora stopped dead in the middle of the snow, yanking on Ren's arm.

'What is it Nora?'

She seemed jittery, to say the least. Like there was something she wanted to say but couldn't.

'Look, umm... I don't know when I might get another chance to say this, so... will you... me?

'You're going to have to speak up,' he said with an endearing smile that made her heart pound. 'You know I can't understand you when you ramble quietly like that.'

Looking directly into his eyes with an extremely adorable expression, she repeated herself.

'Will you... go out with me?'

Blake and Summer were both edging away from the pair, having to forcibly drag Qrow away as he seemed a bit too eager to listen in on their private conversation.

'Umm... wow... I... didn't expect that,' Ren answered nervously, before looking at her again, taking her hands in his. 'Yes.'

Nora's expression of glee at that moment filled Ren's heart with happiness. He knew Nora cared a lot about him, but not to this extent. But he felt happy about it. It was a good feeling, one he had almost forgotten with all the heartbreak and suffering they had endured. They shared a hug for what felt like a century, at least that's what they wanted it to be. Nora gave him a cute peck on the cheek before returning to her usual, bubbly self. With their newfound bond, the group continued to follow Qrow and Summer for a few more hours, before Summer said something that brought the mood down considerably.

'So, Blake,' she began, 'when did you get that wound?'

'I'm sorry? What wound?'

Blake was understandably baffled. Even if she was injured previously, Jaune had healed her before they were separated by the labyrinth.

'I've gotten a couple over the past few months, but my friend healed them up. They're nothing.'

'Let me guess,' she responded, 'a healing semblance?'

'Yeah,' she answered slowly, 'why?'

'I hate to tell you this, but even the most powerful healing semblances can't heal wounds that have had time to settle into your body. Internal wounds are the biggest offender for this. My semblance allows me extremely precise vision. You probably didn't notice it yourself, but judging from your body language and how calm you were I assumed you didn't know.'

'Know what?' she asked, panic now starting to rise in her voice, 'know what? What don't I know?'

Turning to face her, Summer told her extremely bluntly.

'You have a very serious chest wound. It's roughly two months old, judging from the way you're moving.'

_Two months? No way... the Death Stalkers?! The ones that were chasing Jade?!_

As the realisation began to set in, the look on her face told Summer that Blake knew what she was talking about.

'I thought so. Your healing pal probably only got rid of the pain. The wound is still there.'

'Well, what do I do? What can I do to heal it?'

'That's the thing. There _isn't _a way to heal a wound like that. The window of opportunity to fix that wound is long gone.'

Looking her dead in the eye, the next words she told her sent fear through her very core.

'You're going to die, Blake.'


	13. Disturbed

Heading after the footsteps, Velvet leading the way thanks to her superior hearing, they noticed a large facility in the distance. It was eerily familiar to the place the White Fang were holed up during the time Weiss and Ren were held captive.

'You OK?' Coco asked, noticing Ruby becoming slightly unsettled at the sight of the building.

'I'm just a little scared,' she answered, her tone almost sounding sad. She realised that this must have been how Nora felt when she left to save her friends, fearful but loyally marching forward nonetheless.

'You're scared? That's something. You're the last person out of that group I would expect to be afraid,' she commented, Ruby managing to crack a small smile at it.

'Looks can be deceiving.'

All of a sudden, Velvet halted the group.

'This is a trap.'

'What?' Coco exclaimed, her jaw dropping as she took in what Velvet had just said. 'What do you mean it's a trap?'

'We've been lured into a trap. I'm sorry, I didn't notice it before now...'

The young Faunus was beginning to tear up, believing she had failed her friends.

'The footsteps continued but they were getting a lot closer,' Velvet answered, as if ashamed of herself. 'Almost like they were marching on the spot.'

'They knew we were coming?'

'Seems that way. They completely stopped moving a few seconds ago, so I know I'm right.' Velvet looked at Coco dejectedly, searching for some kind of support.

'Then someone saw us. Damn... how far away are we from that group of people?'

'Maybe a mile or two,' Velvet answered uncertainly, 'it's impossible to say for sure. But that's roughly where they are if my calculations are correct.'

'No problem, we'll just have to retreat then,' Coco told the group, much to Ruby's surprise.

'You're just going to leave those people they had captive?!'

'At this point, how can we even be sure they had captives? For all we know they could have known about our presence the whole time and dragged a few of their men along to draw us in,' Coco argued, a fraction of sorrow showing in her voice.

'No, they definitely have hostages,' Velvet added. 'They were keeping a steady distance ahead of us for around half an hour, and after that it slowly got closer and closer. I assumed we had just sped up slightly but then they suddenly slowed almost to a halt, but kept on marching. It's safe to say they have captives, but they didn't notice us right away. They must have scouts stationed along the way who informed the group. I'm sorry for not pointing it out. This is all my fault...'

'It's not your fault. Let's just head back and-'

'I can't let you do that, I'm afraid.'

They turned to face a single female fox Faunus bearing the insignia of the White Flag standing before them, a short sword in her left hand. She seemed to be very light, and so would probably have speed to match. It would definitely fit the scout hypothesis that Velvet proposed. Just as Coco was about to attack, the girl started them with her words.

'The second you draw your weapons, you die. If you don't believe me,' she continued with a malevolent smirk, 'if you don't believe me, then try it. My friends will put a hole between your eyes before you have a chance to blink.'

Reluctantly dropping her weapon, Coco's experiences with the White Fang told her that they were most definitely not a group to be underestimated. They all slowly raised their hands before they too were taken captive by another large group of White Fang. Practically dragged back to their hideout, they were stripped of their weapons and thrown in a cell together.

'What are you going to accomplish taking people prisoner?' Coco asked the guard in a condescending tone, 'what, you think throwing people in cells is gonna fix this world? The worlds screwed one way or another, so why not let us kill some Grimm so you don't have to?'

The guard laughed at her suggestion.

'That's not why you're here. Let's just say we're doing some... research. Research that we need humans to carry out.'

The fact he could say that so calmly and naturally made them feel a little ill. Human experiments? How could they talk so easily about something so horrible? Those were the thoughts running through all of their heads. They were at least given something to drink, but they were not handed any food. Trapped in their new hell, they could do nothing but simply wait. A day passed, and a man who seemed to be the leader of this group of Faunus spoke to them through the bars in their cell.

'Do you want the good news or the bad news first?'

'What are you talking about?' Coco asked, genuinely curious as to what his question meant.

'I'll assume that means you would like the bad news first. The bad news is that you are of no more use to me. You are incompatible with what I'm trying to accomplish here.'

'So that's it then? I guess that means we're gonna be killed, right?'

'Actually,' he replied with a smile, 'that's the good news. I don't need you anymore, so I do not wish to have anything more to do with you. You're free to go.'

Coco noticed there was a Faunus carrying their weapons behind him, but retaining her wits decided to ask another question.

'What's the catch?'

'You're a very clever girl. It's a shame you were caught in our ambush. Your brains would have been better put to use elsewhere. I have no use for you. It doesn't mean my men don't. In fact, they have permission to do whatever they want to you. However, these are honourable warriors. I don't think you have anything to worry about unless you provoke them.'

With that, he strolled off with his arms behind his back like nothing had happened. Their cell was open, and their weapons were laid out on a table across the hall. Unsure of what to do, they nervously sat in their cell. Needless to say, they didn't trust the man's words. How could they trust a person who captured them and shoved them in a tiny cell together, barely giving them any food or drink and then all of a sudden telling them they were free to go? The whole thing was suspicious, but their fears were proven correct when a few minutes later one of the guards said in a bored voice;

'Oh come on!'

They all immediately turned to look at him, and he stared right back at Ruby with lustful eyes.

'Screw waiting, I'm having a turn with the redhead right now,' he said, licking his lips as thoughts of what he would do to her ran through his head.

'Wait!' Coco shouted in a panicked voice, immediately realising what he meant with his statement, 'take me instead. I won't kick and scream like these two will. And... I'm still a virgin. These girls have already had their first times taken, so I'll be much better than they will,' she said, trying to protect the two of them. Unfortunately, her words had the adverse effect. Whistling to two other guards, he ordered them to drag Ruby and Velvet out of the cell and strip them both right there.

'Stop!'

Yatsuhashi's worried cries only served to escalate the situation, aggravating the guard who lusted after Ruby.

'Oh yeah,' he said, turning to his friend, 'kill him too. We don't need him.'

Immediately pointing a revolver at Yatsuhashi's head, he pulled the trigger. Coco looked on, traumatized by the red smear that was once his face.

'Y-Yats...' too scared to even form cohesive words, she could only mumble parts of his name for around 30 seconds before she realised just what had happened. 'Yatsuhashi...? No... please don't be... please be a dream... please be a terrible dream... YATSUHASHI!'

Her shrieks and wails could be heard all throughout the corridors. She completely zoned out, unable to take in what she had just seen. No, she definitely understood what had happened. She just didn't want to accept it. She and Yatsuhashi had been close friends for over 7 years. Seeing him just... gone... it broke her. She couldn't take it. She didn't want to take it, so she just cried. But something equally worse happened that snapped her out of her trance.

'Hey, don't worry,' the Faunus comforted Coco, 'you said you wanted to take the place of these girls, right?'

'Y-yes... please... just spare them...'

'Well, no can do about that I'm afraid. But I will do the next best thing. I'll give you a front row seat!'

With that, he thrust into Ruby, her pained screams echoing through the hallway. Coco shivered, realising she was completely helpless to stop him. She just collapsed on the floor, sobbing. She had given up. Velvet looked a mixture of shocked, sad and angry over what had happened. The Faunus didn't even hesitate to finish inside her. A multitude of emotions swirled through Ruby's head.

_What if I get pregnant?_

_Will we ever get out of here?_

_Please let this end._

_Help me..._

Velvet tried to give her some comfort, at least, rubbing her back gently.

'At least it's over now,' she said with a broken smile, trying to hide the grief she felt inside. Her pain was only increased however, as the Faunus removed his hood to reveal a pair of large rabbit ears.

'Unfortunately not,' he chirped in, a sadistic smile spread on his face. 'Rabbit Faunus are known for being able to... keep going, shall we say. You're in for a very, _very_ long night. As he raped the two of them over and over, about an hour after their ordeal had could no longer contain his anger.

'For fucks sake, will someone SHUT THAT FUCKING BITCH UP?'

Pointing to Coco who had been crying for the last hour straight, his friend took his revolver out again before firing a bullet into her head, her toes twitching slightly from shock before she finally stopped moving.

'Jesus, I didn't mean to kill her! What the fuck is wrong with you? Man, I didn't even get a turn with her...'

Right then a twisted smile spread across his face again, one he gladly shared with Velvet and Ruby.

'Hey,' he said, inches away from their faces as he pinched their lips together. 'Should I?'

What? They couldn't believe it. How low would this sick psychopath go? First they take them hostage, then they kill one of them, then they rape them over and over, and now this? They couldn't believe it.

'Well?' he said, growing ever more impatient. 'If you'd like, she can take your place for a few rounds,'

The thought of being free from this torture for even a second was enough for Ruby.

'Yes!' she screamed, tears rolling down her cheeks, 'yes, please... just stop doing this to us...'

'Alright,' he said, stepping into the cell, 'but you're still gonna watch. Hold them in place. Make sure they see every last second of this.'

As he undressed her, he looked somewhat surprised.

'Hmm,' he said, nodding appreciatively. 'Still warm.'

But as he entered her, he looked up in disgust.

'This bitch was a liar,' he said, unfazed by what he was doing. 'She wasn't a virgin. Still pretty tight though. She's nice and wet, too. She must have really enjoyed seeing what I was doing to you. I bet she was begging for it inside. You guys must have loved it too if she's this turned on just watching. You did, didn't you? Fucking sluts. I can't believe you'd get off from me having sex with you.'

They just wanted it all to stop. It was driving them crazy. They couldn't stop quivering, both out of disgust and hatred of this vile excuse for a living being that was in front of them. Defiling their bodies, they could take. Being insulted and degraded they could take. But this worthless piece of trash wouldn't even let Coco have some dignity in death. That was what they hated the most. She was dead. Why couldn't he at least let her rest peacefully? And the worst part? They knew there was an extremely high chance this man would get away with it. They couldn't punish him for what he did. Not in their state. Two of their group were dead, they were helpless, and Yang, Fox and Pyrrha were god knows where. Ruby tried to think about something else, to take her mind off the horror that was happening in front of her.

_Weiss, is this what you went through? Were you subjected to this?_

_Pyrrha, Yang, Fox... are the three of you safe?_

_Jaune, Blake, Nora and Ren, I hope you meet the others. But please..._

_Please don't come here._

_Run and live. You don't need us. Just... survive._

'Ahh, that was good.' Noticing their expressions, he reassured them. His definition of reassuring, anyway.

'Oh, don't worry. You two were a lot better. I'll be keeping you for a long, long time.'

With that evil smile, they both knew.

He was telling the truth.

* * *

'That's it; we are _not _sitting around waiting any longer! It's been a whole day!'

Yang's outburst was met with a somewhat fearful gaze by Pyrrha.

'Yang, I...'

'NO!'

Pyrrha was shaken by Yang's sudden hostility, Fox extending his arm as if to tell her to calm down.

'I am NOT just going to wait here! This is exactly the same as what happened with Weiss! Nora disappeared, and when she came back someone was _DEAD. _Do you understand that? My sister is part of that group! I'm going, whether you're coming with me or not!'

Storming off in the direction Ruby and the rest had headed, Pyrrha called out to her.

'Wait!'

Yang stopped, only turning enough to see Pyrrha's face.

'I'm coming.'

She slowly walked forward to catch up to Yang, Fox following closely behind.

'Let's go find our friends,' Yang confidently stated, desperately wanting to bust into a sprint, instead walking so as to keep pace with Pyrrha and Fox.

'Yeah,' Pyrrha said, an uneasy smile crossing her lips. Somehow, she already had a _very _bad feeling about their journey.


	14. The X-Class

_I'm going to die?_

Ever since Summer had said that to Blake a few days ago it was the only thing she could think about. It plagued her mind, and terrified her in a sense. It wasn't a direct fear of death, but rather a fear of 'when.' What if her friends needed her and she suddenly collapsed and died? Her condition might lead her friends to an early grave if she suddenly worsened, she could just become a hindrance to them. Summer, being perceptive as she is noticed Blake's slight shift in mood.

'Don't think about it. Dwelling on it won't help anyone. You need to stay strong for Ren and Nora. Trust me, you mean more to them than you know. She gently embraced Blake, rubbing her back slightly as she hugged her.

'You're important to them. You shouldn't bring yourself down like this. I know you don't like it, and they don't either.'

With that, Blake felt a sort of serene peace. Hearing Summer's words had calmed her considerably, and soon after she was back to her usual quiet self. Quiet, but happy. The only thing troubling her now were her friends.

_Where are you guys?_

Shaking it off, she smiled as she continued onwards. She knew they wouldn't have done anything stupid like getting themselves captured, so it gave her a form of solace. Nora was snuggling up to Ren as she walked, nuzzling adorably into his arm. After a few minutes of walking, both Summer and Qrow immediately stopped.

'What is it?' Ren asked, a slight tone of worry in his voice.

'We aren't alone,' Qrow answered, his casual demeanour from earlier long gone, only a stern expression on his face as he rapidly evaluated his surroundings for any disturbances. The three of them stared in awe. They could tell just from this one interaction that the two Hunters in front of them were far beyond their current level of skill. Blake even suspected they may even be as strong as an SSS-Class Grimm, something only the most powerful of humans can even hope to accomplish.

'Four of them,' Qrow said, before being corrected by Summer.

'Five, actually. You're slipping, old man.'

They were amazed that even in this situation they could crack jokes and stay so calm. Nora was shaking in fear, and Ren even seemed to be unnerved. Blake was somewhat more comfortable than them, but that was only because her acute awareness of her surroundings told her that Qrow and Summer would be able to deal with the threat, judging by the fact that even a novice such as herself had picked up on their presence. As if in synchronization, they were assaulted by five S-Class Grimm, one Beowolf, one Boarbatusk and three Ursa.

In an instant, before the three of them could even register Summer and Qrow's attacks the Grimm all collapsed in a pile.

'I got three,' Qrow cockily said, looking at the trio of severed Grimm corpses on the ground. 'Who's slipping now?'

Summer grunted in a sour tone, bitter about the fact she didn't take out more than Qrow. Ren, Nora and Yang however were still trying to comprehend what had just happened. It was over before they could even blink.

'Sorry,' Summer said cheerfully, back to her motherly tone, 'I guess we got a little carried away there. Don't worry, stick with us and you guys will be just fine.'

'Where exactly are we going anyway?' Blake asked, Ren and Nora both looking to them out of curiosity.

'You're sure you want to know the answer to that?'

'Positive,' Blake replied, the determination in her voice coming as a surprise to the two of them, before Summer finally answered.

'We're going to kill an X-Class.'

Their expressions turned to one of shock and horror almost immediately.

'You mean we're going to challenge the Grimm said to be unbeatable by a single person?' Blake asked, her tone making it very evident she was hoping it was a joke.

'Unkillable by a single person may be true,' Qrow responded, the seriousness in his voice removing Blake's doubt, 'but how about two people? If one person isn't enough, maybe all we need is to have more than one person fighting them. You are free to leave any time you wish. Just know that our goal will not change. Ever since we found this information whilst at the manor we've been waiting to go searching for them. I'm gonna find that bastard and-'

'That's enough, Qrow,' Summer chipped in, calming his seething rage. Taking a deep breath, Qrow spoke again, calmer this time.

'Sorry, I get a little bit carried away when I think about him.'

'When you think about who?' Blake asked curiously.

'Taiyang Xiao Long,' he answered sternly without thinking. Immediately realising his mistake, he turned and tried to correct it, but it was too late. The damage was done.

'What about Yang's dad? What are you going to do?!'

Realising there was no point hiding it from her, he answered honestly.

'We're going to kill him.'

'Then why are we searching for an X-Class Grimm?' Blake perceptively asked.

'The fool had an obsession with them. He left to go find one and document it,' Qrow lied. He'd caused Blake enough unnecessary stress, so he at least wanted to avoid causing more

'He abandoned us on a mission. A lot of people died because of what he did. I want to make sure he pays for his hubris.'

Blake seemed conflicted over the revelation that Yang's father had done such terrible things. On the one hand, she knew the matter of Yang's parents were a sensitive subject for her, due to the fact she didn't have any memories of them as a family. Nevertheless, she carried on with the others, walking for a few more hours before they stopped to rest.

'You guys holding up OK?' Summer thoughtfully asked, looking towards the three young Hunters accompanying them, the three of them giving her a monotone 'yes' in response.

'Do you really think we should bring them?' Qrow whispered quietly, taking a sip from a canteen he was carrying with him.

'We can't just leave them,' Summer said, 'and besides, they want to come along. You heard them.'

'The lair of an X-Class is no place for children, Summer. You and I both know that. If they make the slightest mistake, they'll die. If they don't make a single mistake they may still die.'

'Doesn't that also apply to us?' Summer shot back, the look on Qrow's face telling her she was right.

'I'm just worried. I don't want that tragedy to repeat itself,' he said.

'Please,' Summer said, tearing up almost immediately, 'don't bring it up.'

'Bring what up?' Nora asked cheerfully, before noticing her tears. 'Hey, what's wrong?'

Summer's hand began shaking at the memory. It was still vivid in her mind, like it happened yesterday. The encounter she and her husband shared with the X-Class Grimm... it would never fade from her mind. But the horror that she witnessed afterwards still traumatized her to this day. That Draconic Grimm... a humanoid X-Class Grimm with dragon scales, skin as hard as steel... she would never let those events escape her memory. They were no match for the overwhelming power of the Grimm, but what it did afterwards eternally scarred her.

* * *

_Please, let him go!_

_You challenged me. This is my prey. And I shall devour my meal how I see fit._

Summer watched the Draconus tear into her husband with her teeth, ripping the man's arm off. She didn't even provide him the dignity of dying first. She slowly watched the man she loved be torn quite literally limb from limb, helpless to do anything. She gave in, and that was when she saw him.

Taiyang Xiao Long.

He had followed them, and just as Summer thought he was about to fight the Grimm, he did something even more unspeakable.

'Good work, Granberia.'

_Why is he congratulating her?! Is he insane?_

Then, he turned and looked her straight in the eyes. What she saw chilled her to her core. Those crimson eyes, with tints of black around the edges... she knew.

'You became a Grimm?'

'Merging with the Grimm is the ultimate power,' he answered. 'Don't worry. I left behind a very convincing copy of myself. Nobody will ever know. If you want to continue living, you'll keep quiet about it.'

To be honest, she had completely zoned out. She wanted it to end. She wanted it to be a horrible nightmare. She wanted to have the power to save him.

But what she wanted more than anything right now, was revenge.

'Let's go,' she said, commanding Blake and the others as she stormed ahead, seething with rage.

_When I find you, Taiyang, I'm going to make you fucking pay for what you did. Setting us up, betraying us... I'll make you suffer through the seventh layer of Hell before you die!_


	15. Hard to Swallow

'You think this is the place?'

Yang, Pyrrha and Fox had been walking for hours, and had finally come across the same facility that Ruby and the others headed into.

'This is a little _too _familiar,' Pyrrha nervously commented, gripping her weapon tightly, silently praying that they were alright. Sneaking into the lightly guarded facility, Pyrrha noticed that it was actually quite a bit larger than the one Weiss and Ren were being held, which only aroused her suspicion further when she took into account the lack of security. It was almost like they _wanted _people to get inside.

'Be careful,' she warned, Yang nodding in agreement. Fox remained silent, but the fact he was still following their lead indicated that he already knew. Advancing onward, they found a small air vent in the back of the facility, just big enough to crawl through. Yang led the way, followed by Pyrrha and finally Fox. Crawling through the ventilation, Yang stopped just outside one of the vents after hearing voices.

'The boss is gonna be pissed if he doesn't find what he's after.'

'You mean that experiment?'

'Yeah.'

'Damn shame those bitches weren't compatible, at least they make good sex slaves.'

'Yeah, that fucking rabbit prick's been stealing all the fun for himself though.'

'He's the head guard, nothing we can do until he gets bored of them.'

Listening in on this conversation only worried Yang further, and she hurriedly carried on, searching for an empty room to drop down into. After a few more minutes of navigating the vents, they eventually found a storage room in the back, which the three of them gently lowered themselves into. There were masses of food and drink, all in air tight packaging. Quickly finding the exit, Yang slowly opened the door, peeking out into the thankfully empty corridor. But what they were met with unnerved them slightly. Leading out of the corridor there were several other hallways. She felt like she was back in the labyrinth again, before Pyrrha put forward a daring proposal.

'Maybe we should split up if we want to find them fast,' she said. Yang was taken aback. She never expected Pyrrha of all people to suggest such a high risk, high reward plan.

'You sure about that?' Yang questioned, the doubt in her voice making no attempt to hide.

'You heard what those White Fang men said. Something about experiments. If we're not quick...'

Yang raised her hand in agreement.

'Alright. You guys better not do anything stupid,' Yang told them with a chuckle.

'That's funny,' Pyrrha answered, 'I was going to say the same thing.'

'Good luck,' Fox added, to which Pyrrha and Yang both looked in surprise. 'What? I can speak, I'm just quiet,' he commented.

With that, the trio separated, each one heading a different direction.

Fox soon came across a group of White Fang, and quietly manoeuvring through the hallways around them he managed to evade them. He soon came across several more groups of guards, all just talking amongst themselves. From their level of awareness Fox knew that their infiltration hadn't been reported. Not yet at least. Heading onwards, he soon began to hear what sounded like an argument. Pressing his ear to the wall he could hear the muffled voices of Ruby and Velvet, along with someone he didn't know who seemed to be shouting at them. Just as he was about to find a way in, however, someone grabbed his head and threw him into the wall, knocking him unconscious almost immediately.

Yang was having less luck, having gone a different direction. All the corridors looked exactly the same to her, and without a map of some kind she realised she was doing little more than aimlessly wandering, hoping to see something, _anything _that could possibly lead her to Ruby.

_We should have thought of a backup plan, _she thought to herself. _This isn't good... right now Ruby could be..._

Her train of thought was soon broken by an alarm suddenly blaring in her ear. Panicking, she hurriedly opened the closest door some 30 feet away and slammed it shut behind her, panting in relief. Moments later, she heard footsteps clattering against the hard floor on the other side of the door, and knew just how close she had come to being found out. She turned around, leaning against the door with her head in her hands. Soon, however, she found herself frozen in fear.

'You know, it's rather rude to intrude on someone without even knocking first.'

She wouldn't have paid it any mind, except the voice wasn't behind the door. It was coming from _in front of her._ Lowering her hands, she saw a White Fang with his legs perched comfortably on the desk in front of him.

'Hold her down,' the man said, to which a Grimm followed his command, slamming her against the floor and pressing her to the ground.

_What? Why is a Grimm following his orders? What the hell is going on?_

'So, are you here for your friends?' the man casually asked, obviously already knowing the answer.

'Give me her back! Give my sister back to me!'

Unfazed by the powerful Grimm pinning her down, Yang angrily demanded her sister's safety, to which the man responded with respect, signalling the Grimm to let her go. As she slowly stood up, she managed to get a closer look at her assailant, only to find it was an SSS-Class Grimm, a Saberfang to be precise.

'Where is my sister?'

'Which one is she?'

'Tell me where she is. Now.'

The man sighed, his head drooping slightly.

'Look, I'm a generous man. I'm willing to give your sister back to you, along with the rest of them.'

'Alright,' Yang answered, sceptical about his proposal, 'what's the catch.'

Cracking a small smile from the corner of his mouth, he started clapping slowly

'You're very good. In fact, I might be willing to release them right now if you join us. Think of all the things we could achieve together,' the man teased, holding his hand out in invitation.

She wanted to decline, but then images of her sister flashed through her mind. And then she recalled the ultimate fate of Weiss... tensing up slightly, she was hesitant to respond.

'Wow, you really thought I was serious,' the man said, laughing to himself a little. Yang was infuriated. First they kidnapped her sister and friends, and now they mocked her. She was very quickly grating her patience away, something which her clenched fist conveyed.

'Alright, alright,' he said, with a serious expression now. 'You want your sister, help me with a little experiment I'm running.'

'Experiment?'

'Yes, an experiment. In fact, it was this lovely Grimm you see before you that came here and proposed it. I thought she was here to kill us, but it turns out she wanted our help. I was surprised that we could help an SSS-Class like her, but after hearing her out I soon realised why she would need us.'

'You keep referring to it as 'her.' How do you know she's female?'

'Grimm have feelings too, you know,' the Saberfang interjected, its stance indicating it was quickly losing patience with Yang's questions. 'And similar to that, we also have genders. Is it so surprising for us to have female and males amongst us?'

Now that she thought about it, Yang realised what the Grimm said made a lot of sense.

'So, you want me to help you turn this Grimm back to a human, right?' Yang said, fairly certain she knew that was what they wanted. Why else would a Grimm need the assistance of humans?

'Not quite,' the man said, before revealing the horrifying truth behind his motives, the look of shock painted on Yang's face as he uttered the words.

'We don't want to turn the Grimm into a human. Rather, we're trying to turn humans into Grimm.'

Quivering all over, the expression on Yang's face was exactly the response they had expected from her.

'We've had a few subjects so far, but we're still very early in the process. Unfortunately, the last two didn't fare two well. As it happens, there are a number of conditions which must be met in order to allow a human to become a Grimm. Condition number one: they must be a full human. Fauna are incapable of undergoing the process. We tried with a few of our own willing members and some Faunus we captured before named Sun, but they couldn't control their anger and relied on the Grimm inside them. They were pretty out of control, so they had to be... decommissioned.'

_Sun... I'm so sorry..._

'You should have seen that Sun and the rest of his friends. There was another blue haired guy that survived the initial induction, but the other two died almost immediately after the process began. Those two were real monsters. Both of them were S-Classes. They contained the Grimm for about five days before starvation got to them. They begged us for food, but for the sake of the experiment we refused. We wanted to see the effects of hunger on a person sharing Grimm genes, seeing how they always eat their victims. Turns out they feel it much worse than humans do, and they couldn't handle it. They started eating _their own dead friends._ Talk about psychopaths waiting to happen. Anyway, back to the conditions. Condition two: the person undergoing the experiment must be of powerful blood. What this means is they must have extremely high potential as Grimm. People with weak aura and people without strong lineage will not survive the initial phase.'

Yang's blood froze as she realised just what they were asking her to do with the next condition.

'Condition three,' the man said, a merciless look taking over his eyes, 'the person undergoing the change must eat a small amount of a Grimm.'

Even before he finished speaking, the Saberfang began to carefully tear into its stomach flesh with her claws, before holding it out towards Yang.

'Either you eat, or you die. It's as simple as that.'

Yang didn't know what to say or do. She simply stood there, trying to take in what had just been said to her.

As Fox began to rouse from his slumber, he jerked awake; suddenly realising he was attacked, before calming down after he saw that he was alone. Not just that, but he had also been hidden and had a blanket placed over him.

'Who...?'

Taking a moment to wonder who had helped him, he quickly left the room and saw that he wasn't far from the place he had been attacked. He continued searching for a way through the door, and after minutes of searching around he finally found it. Upon opening the door, however, all that greeted him was death. Faunus bodies were strewn across the floor, and there were all kinds of bodily fluids plastered on the ground. Blood, sweat, semen... it created an overwhelming stench that saddened Fox. When he saw Coco and Yatsuhashi's bodies, he had to take a moment to let it settle in. Two of his friends were dead, just like that. It came as a shock, but then he realised that Ruby and Velvet were not in the room. Wherever they were, Fox prayed that they had been saved by the same person that helped him out, before taking Coco and Yatsuhashi's bodies outside. He had to at least give them a proper burial. He wouldn't be able to live with himself if he couldn't give them some dignity in death.

'I am not eating any part of a Grimm!' Yang screamed, fear echoing through her voice.

'Force her,' the man told the Saberfang, who happily proceeded to pin her against the wall, forcing her own flesh down Yang's throat.

As hard as Yang tried to avoid swallowing it, her body eventually gave in, the feeling of swallowing a Grimm's flesh making her want to puke. It didn't exactly taste nice, either.

'Why are you doing this?' Yang asked, nauseous from the forced meal she was just given, 'and why ask me to help if you're going to force me to be part of your experiment anyway?'

'Oh, relax,' he shot back, 'you're strong enough to handle it. You'll have complete and total control of the Grimm inside you until you yourself choose to rely on its power.'

He gave Yang a smile before turning to the Saberfang.

'Kill her.'

'Oh, I've wanted to kill her for a long time now,' the Grimm happily replied, advancing on Yang who quickly opened the door and bolted down the corridor, the Grimm very close behind.

_He's trying to force me to use the Grimm genes they planted inside me to turn me into one of them, _Yang realized, not wanting to give in to their desires. _I really don't have a choice, do I? _

She was about to allow the Grimm to take over, when a very familiar attack rippled through the hallway, speeding past Yang and colliding with the Saberfang, causing it to be knocked backwards. Looking up, she saw the familiar garb and blade of Raven Branwen, along with a bull Faunus that she didn't recognise; however he seemed to also wear a Grimm mask and didn't seem hostile so she assumed Raven was working together with him.

'Long time no see, Yang,' Raven commented, a smile on her face as she walked towards the Saberfang, not hesitating for a second. 'Don't worry about your sister, her and the bunny girl are both safe,' she added, Yang's heart skipping a beat in relief at the news.

'The other two didn't make it,' she coldly said, not stopping her advance for a second.

_They didn't make it...? Coco and Yatsuhashi are...?_

'Get out of here,' Raven ordered her, 'we'll take it from here,' she finished, drawing her blade on the Grimm again. Hesitating, Yang slowly stumbled away, leaving the two of them behind to fight against the Saberfang.

_Why does that Grimm feel so familiar? Like I've met it somewhere before...?_

Breaking into a sprint, turning the corner she crashed into none other than Pyrrha.

'Pyrrha? What are you...?'

'I ended up in some security room,' she answered, out of breath. 'I saw the room you ran into on one of the cameras, and then I ran into Raven and Adam, that bull Faunus. I'm glad we're finally getting a lucky break for once.'

It was like a bullet to the heart for Yang. Pyrrha didn't know... that was something she immediately realised.

'Pyrrha...' she began, the solemn tone telling her that it wasn't good news.

'What is it? What happened?'

Pyrrha was growing restless extremely quickly due to Yang's mood, and she recoiled in disbelief when Yang told her.

'Coco and Yatsuhashi didn't make it, Pyrrha.'

She stood there for what felt like an eternity.

_Again...? Why must people always die... why can't we just have a happy ending for once...?_

'Let's go,' Yang said, breaking the silence. 'We're getting out of here.'

Not a word more was said as they made for the entrance, Pyrrha still in shock over the news as she dragged herself out of the building, seeing the crying faces of Velvet, Ruby and Fox burying Coco and Yatsuhashi's bodies.

'At least some people came out OK, huh Pyrrha?' Yang commented, trying to cheer her up even a little bit.

_I hope you're OK in there, Raven._

'What the fuck is with this Grimm?' Adam said to Raven, annoyed at how tough she was.

'That's an SSS-Class for you,' she shot back, before launching another attack that was easily avoided. She nodded to Adam, and the two of them both attacked from either side, Adam aiming his blade at the Grimm's neck and Raven aiming for the legs, but the Grimm jumped off the ground slightly and forcing her body to face the ceiling, before landing a simultaneous powerful kick to Adam's head and a strong fist to Raven's, sending them crashing into the opposing walls, knocking Adam out and heavily disorienting Raven.

'Finally,' the Grimm complained, annoyed at how long she had been held up. 'I'd love to kill you right here, but I've got myself a blonde to catch,' she taunted before powering down the hallway towards the entrance.

The group stood in respectful silence for the recently deceased Coco and Yatsuhashi, before Pyrrha asked the question she knew Fox wanted to.

'Did they at least die with dignity?'

Velvet and Ruby's silence gave her the answer.

'I see... at least you're both still here though,' she said, trying to follow Yang's optimism, even in the face of such a traumatic event. The groups attention soon turned to the door, however, and an unexpected face greeted them as it grew closer.

'Jaune?!' Pyrrha exclaimed, running over to reunite with her former teammate, both of them embracing in a hug.

'Hey, Pyrrha,' Jaune said, his usual dorky atmosphere giving Pyrrha at least a little bit of happiness to hold onto.

'Jaune, there's something I have to tell you,' she desperately blurted, her happiness at seeing him again overflowing from her very core.

'I need to tell you something too,' he replied calmly, hugging her even tighter.

'WAIT! DON'T! HE'S NOT WHO YOU THINK HE IS!'

Raven's cries were far too late. Jaune's body had already begun to warp and change, and it took Pyrrha a few seconds to notice that her intestines and several other organs were now in a pile of blood on the floor in front of her.

'J...aune... I... lo...ve... you...'

Her last words before slumping to the ground, unheard by all but her killer. As she quickly lay dying, all that happiness she had a moment ago had dissipated. She hated the fact that the one she was able to spill her true feelings to was the one who killed her. Yet at the same time, she felt a soothing sense of relief. Finally being able to convey her feelings, even if not to whom they were for gave her a feeling of release. She felt like she had let go of her burdens as her life ebbed away.

The next angered outburst shocked the group even more than the scene they had just bore witness to.

'I'LL KILL YOU!'

It was Velvet's furious, sorrow-strained voice that shouted those words as she grabbed the box that she kept at her side. She wanted vengeance. She wanted it now.


	16. Painful Desire

With no choice but to follow Summer's lead through Grimm territory, Blake, Ren and Nora cautiously advanced onwards. The area they were in was a known location of several S-Class Grimm, some even stronger. Needless to say, they were all terrified, but with nowhere else to turn they faithfully followed Qrow and Summer's march for revenge.

'Are you sure you want to come with us?' Qrow asked, wanting to confirm that they did indeed wish to continue on, obviously noticing their fear. 'You don't have to, you know.'

'We're sure,' Ren answered, trying to calm himself. 'It's just... we've never been around so many strong Grimm before, so it's a little frightening.'

Nora nodded in agreement, still clinging tightly to his arm.

'Very well,' Qrow responded, turning back towards Summer and beginning to walk again. 'I understand that you're afraid. Trust me, even I'm worried about what we'll do when we find Taiyang. We may be strong, but still... he's an X-Class... anyway, I'll stop rambling. You don't want me mumbling in your ear and getting you worked up over nothing,' he said with a reassuring chuckle.

They slowly walked through the night, making their way through the Grimm sleeping on the ground silently. The last thing they wanted was an all out war against innumerable Grimm that were all far more powerful than themselves.

After an hour, Blake's breathing began to grow coarse, and a half hour later she doubled over in pain, clutching her chest.

'Blake! Are you alright?'

In her panic, Nora had completely forgotten where they were, her frantic cries rousing several Grimm from their slumber. Qrow and Summer immediately dispatched them much to the relief of the group, but they shot her a dangerous glare that told her to never do that again.

'Are you OK?' she whispered, mindful of her volume now.

'I'm fine,' Blake replied with a wince, 'it's just a cramp. Nothing to worry about,' she said with a false smile, secretly terrified on the inside.

_What if this is it?_

_I don't want to die..._

_I'm scared..._

But she stayed strong for her friends. If she didn't show any signs of worry, then it would at least help calm them down a little.

'Relax,' Summer interrupted, 'she's not done yet. If she was about to die she'd be in so much pain she wouldn't even be able to speak, let alone move. Her injuries are serious, and they are fatal, but it will take a little more time to claim her life.'

'How long would you say I have left?' Blake asked timidly, part of her not wanting to hear the answer.

'At best,' she started, 'a week. At worst... you have less than a day.'

Blake's anguished look spoke volumes of what kind of emotional trauma she was going through right now. The terror of knowing her own death is rapidly approaching... the helplessness of being unable to stop it... she knew she wouldn't be sleeping tonight. What if she passed in her sleep? She wasn't ready to die yet. There was still so much more she wanted to do with her life.

_I want to live..._

_I want to survive through this..._

_I want to see my friends again..._

_I want someone I can share my deepest secrets with..._

_I want to be married one day and to have children, a family of my own..._

_Please... give me more time! All I ask is a little bit more time to live my life... is that so much to ask...?_

As she stood in conflict with her thoughts, Summer and Qrow shushed them and dragged them to the ground. Snapping back to reality, Blake realised she could hear voices thanks to her superior hearing.

'You can hear them?' Summer said, noticing her straining her ears to listen to the conversation.

'Good luck... on your hunt...' Blake began to fill them in on what she could hear.

'Granberia,' she said, before looking back to the others. 'That's all I could hear.'

Upon hearing the name Granberia, Summer's memories came racing back to her. The mention of the name brought her to tears, Nora and Ren worriedly looking on as she sat with a stoic expression, tears rolling down her face.

'Looks like we're getting close,' Qrow pointed out, before standing up, scythe in hand. 'I'm going to go look around. You three stay here with Summer, OK?'

'What if any Grimm show up?' Nora asked, slightly paranoid due to the numbers of them lurking in the area.

'She can't get her revenge if she's dead. If a Grimm shows up I might actually feel sorry for it. She's ruthless when I'm not around,' he said with a slightly jokey tone. He left, and the three of them were sat in silence, waiting for one of the others to speak up so they wouldn't have to. None of them wanted to break the silence, but at the same time they didn't want to be surrounded by the uncomfortable atmosphere either.

'So... Blake,' Nora finally spoke up, 'did you... love anyone?'

The question came as a surprise to Blake. She had been so caught up worrying about what Summer had told her that she didn't think about anything else.

'No, not really,' she answered with a small smile. It was the first time Nora had seen her smile in days, so to her it meant the world. 'I wish I did, though. I kind of envy what you have with Ren, you know? You've known each other since childhood, and I... I didn't have anyone. I don't have anyone.'

'You have us,' Ren reassured, before Blake took a hostile tone with him.

'No, you have each other. I've been alone my entire life! And now that I finally thought I could move on from my past, my life is being snatched away from me!' Realising how harsh she had come across, she sheepishly apologised.

'I'm sorry, I shouldn't have snapped. I'm just... I'm scared...'

'It's OK,' Ren said with a warm smile, 'I understand. You've been told that you're going to die. It's natural to be scared. But that's why you have us here, Blake. We will help you through this, and we'll be there for you until the end. Remember that. We're your friends, Blake, and friends stick with each other through thick and thin. That's what we're here for.'

He gave her a hug, which made her unbelievably happy. Just the feeling of having someone there gave her a serene feeling of tranquility.

'Thank you,' she said, her voice swelling with gratitude.

_You're a very lucky girl, Nora. You've got someone this kind and caring by your side... I'm a little jealous, actually._

Interrupting the moment, Qrow hurried back, bringing good news.

'Hey, I found a little bunker we can hole up for the night. Come on guys, let's get some rest.'

The five of them made their way to the place Qrow described, Nora helping Blake along as she was still in tremendous pain. They were glad to finally be able to rest, and as they fell asleep one by one, a thought came to Blake's mind.

_Ruby, Yang... I'm sorry, but we probably won't see each other again. I hope you guys survive and live on without me._

_Weiss... I suppose I'll be seeing you again soon. I hope you haven't been too lonely without us._

A single tear streaked down her face as she fell asleep. Come morning, she had passed away from her injuries, peacefully and pain free. And as much as Nora and Ren were stricken with grief, they were also happy. She was able to die happy, in peace and surrounded by people who cared deeply for her. In the early hours of the morning they carried her body out to the ocean nearby and built a small raft, putting Blake on it adorning it with various flowers. It was a beautiful yet heartbreaking sight to behold, the peaceful image of Blake's still body, surrounded by the cheerful colour of the flowers in full bloom. Even Summer couldn't help but cry at the scene. As they pushed the raft out to sea, they watched it drift slowly into the distance until they could no longer see it. Nora clenched Ren's hand tightly, with tearful eyes. The rest of the morning they spent sitting in the breeze, in remembrance of their late friend. Somehow... Nora knew she was happy. Blake was in a calm place now. A place where nothing would hurt her again. And that gave her comfort. By the time the afternoon had arrived, they were long gone, setting out again in search of the elusive 'Taiyang.' Armed with Summer's determination and Qrow's knowledge of the country, they were certain they would find him, and soon.


	17. The Box, The Birds, The Bees

Velvet tightly gripped the box by her side, viciously glaring at the Saberfang in front of her. The animosity in the air was unreal. Even the others were frightened at how scary Velvet was. It was a jarring contrast to her usual shy exterior, but she had finally lost it.

'DIE!'

Unfolding the box, it revealed itself to be some kind of gun, but they weren't particularly sure which kind. The Grimm stared in mock fascination at the contraption, slowly walking towards Velvet as if taunting her.

'You honestly think something like that can scratch me?' the Grimm boasted, continuing her casual stroll towards them, being around 20 meters away now.

'Velvet,' Fox cut in desperately, 'if you use that you'll kill Raven as well!'

'I'll be fine!' Raven shouted in the distance, changing her sword to a pure white hue and holding it up in front of her with both hands.

'I'm an SSS-Class Grimm. A laser rifle like that won't have any effect on me,' she bragged.

'It's a good thing that my semblance allows me to infuse it with my aura, then. It gets stronger depending on my mood!'

The Grimm looked at her in realisation, before charging forward in a panic, now desperate to stop the attack. But she was far too late. Velvet pulled the trigger, and a blue light began to gather at the tip of the barrel. The force was so powerful that Yang and the others were even struggling to remain where they stood. It was as though there was a miniature black hole at the end of that gun. By the time the Grimm had come anywhere near Velvet, the gun fired, blasting a gargantuan cone of blue energy at her which stopped her momentum completely and sent her launching backwards towards Raven, herself struggling to keep the force of the blast away. She had created a large shield using her aura thanks to the white blade, but even that wasn't fully blocking Velvet's attack

_How freaking strong is that girl?! She can break through Purity just like that... her and that gun might even be on par with the X-Classes..._

When the blast subsided, Raven recoiled slightly before realising that the Grimm was still flying toward her, changing her sword to purple. Taking a deep breath she swung her sword, catapulting the Grimm back towards Velvet who deftly smashed the Grimm over the head with her box, launching her into the ground. She seemed to have calmed down some, her breath still ragged but much less antagonistic. In the entrance to the facility, Raven was about to catch her breath before realising the entire structure was coming down on top of her, and quickly got out of the way to escape harm.

'Adam!'

Realising he was still inside, she stared in horror as she could do nothing but watch the building collapse on top of him. At least, that's what she thought.

'Relax,' the familiar monotone voice called, 'I'm fine.'

Looking up, she could see him smiling down at her from one of the trees. Breathing a sigh of relief, she collapsed onto her back, being worn out from their ordeal.

'Who the hell are you?' Yang demanded, grabbing hold of the Grimm's scruff of fur around the neck, ignoring the gaping hole where its stomach had been. 'I know I've seen you before. Who are you?'

'You really haven't figured it out already?' the Grimm shot back, still with that same condescending tone of voice. 'Watch and learn, child,' she taunted, as she transformed into a very familiar green haired girl that Yang had thought long dead.

'...Jade?' the shock on her voice was clear. 'But... how?'

'I was a Grimm the entire time you were screwing around. When you took me in, I only stayed to scout you out so I could eat you at a later date. Once I know someone's scent, I'll never forget it. I was waiting for you to be worth eating.'

Coughing up blood in between words, Jade was rapidly nearing her end.

'I didn't expect to face such a powerful opponent. That Faunus is something else. I've never seen someone so strong that still has so much potential.'

Punching her once in the face to vent her frustration, Yang left the dying Grimm to be reclaimed by nature.

'You coming with us?'

Raven smiled at the gesture but refused.

'Sorry, me and Adam still have places to be. See you on the other side,' she added, before creating a portal with her sword, Adam and her stepping through it as it closed behind them.

'Yeah...' Yang mumbled to herself. 'I hope.'

After giving Pyrrha a respectable funeral, the group set out on their journey again.

'So are we still heading for the safe zone?' Ruby nervously asked, still shaken by the events that had transpired inside the White Fang facility.

'Yeah,' Yang replied, now leading the group after the death of Coco and Yatsuhashi. She didn't want Ruby or Velvet to have to do it after what they had been through. 'She said the only realistic way we could reach it was over the water, right?'

'Yeah,' Fox replied quickly, pointing the way. 'There's a harbour over at the Western Shore. If we're in luck, there'll still be some boats that we can take.'

'Sounds like a plan,' Yang said, happy to go along with his idea. 'You know the way?'

'Yeah, follow me and I'll take us there.'

Fox began to direct the group toward the harbour, and Yang turned to Velvet and Ruby for a moment.

'You guys are going to be fine, alright? We'll look after you. We're going to stay with you from now on so that nothing like this happens again. From here on out nobody is going to die.'

Yang's words of encouragement certainly brightened up their moods slightly, although they still had a very sombre atmosphere around them. That was to be expected, though. They had been through a lot, and Yang knew that they wouldn't just recover at the snap of a finger.

* * *

Now a group of four, they walked for around a week, eating and drinking what little they could find to keep themselves healthy before Velvet began complaining about stomach cramps.

'Are you OK?' Yang carefully asked, not wanting to agitate her.

'I feel really ill,' she groaned in response, 'and I've been really tired lately.'

'We can stop for a while if you like,' she kindly offered.

'Thanks. I don't know what it is. It just came over me all of a sudden. I didn't want to bother you with it but it's gotten to the point where I can't move for extended periods without feeling ill,' she said.

_Wait, periods...? Mine should have been here by now... no way..._

Seeing the look of realisation on Velvet's face, Yang asked the question on her mind.

'What is it?'

'I think...' Velvet began, growing more and more distressed by the second, 'I think I'm pregnant.'


	18. The Creature in the Chamber

Ren, Nora, Qrow and Summer continued their journey through the Grimm infested territory, making sure to stay hidden as they moved. Eventually they finally came to a large cliff, which Qrow immediately began to scale with his scythe.

'Wait here, I'm going to go take a look around. I'll be back soon.'

As he climbed, there was an unnerving silence surrounding the group, one which Nora was keen to break.

'How strong are the X-Class Grimm? I mean, you've fought them before, haven't you?'

Summer looked at her, unsure of how to respond.

'Stronger than anything you've ever seen. I'm not really sure how to describe it other than that. But that doesn't mean we're going to let them carry on living and killing as they please. Even if it takes our lives to do it, me and Qrow will destroy them.'

Nora realised Summer's personal vendetta against the X-Class was part of the motive for wanting to kill them, however she also carried an air of redemption about her, like she wanted to make up for something that she had done in the past. She chose not to question her about it though, as after the outburst a few days ago she seemed to have some skeletons in her closet that she'd rather others not know about.

'What about you? What do you want to do?'

Thinking for a moment, Nora gave her an answer that pleased her.

'I want to help. Even if it's only one Grimm, if it could potentially be the Grimm that kills a person in future I want to do all I can to keep other people alive.'

'You're a strong girl,' Summer told her with a smile. 'One day I'm sure you'll surpass even me and Qrow. That determination of yours will drive you to success if you continue to follow it. And you, Ren?' she asked, his motive differing from Nora's but still bringing a smile to both of their faces.

'I want to protect Nora,' he answered, blushing ever so slightly.

A few minutes later, they saw Qrow descending the cliff and patiently waited for his arrival.

'All clear,' he said, panting slightly. 'Also, I saw something up there that could be where one of the X-Class lives,' he informed them, Summer's face growing more stern at the news.

'Let's go then,' she answered, taking charge of the group once more. Approaching what appeared to be a large cave structure, Summer turned to Qrow, who simply nodded in confirmation that this was the place he mentioned.

'Ugh, it stinks in here,' Qrow commented, a horrific scent drifting through the cave, realising immediately that they had definitely stumbled upon a Grimm-infested cave network.

'Is this smell what I think it is?' Ren asked, to which Summer responded; 'Yes. But that's a good thing. It tells us we're in the right place.'

Trying to ignore the foul odour, the group slowly made their way into the ever darkening caves until it got to the point where they could barely even see each other through the darkness, even when stood mere feet from each other.

'Damn, this light is impossible to deal with!' Qrow complained, annoyed at himself for not bringing a torch of some kind.

'It'll be fine,' Summer butted in. 'I'm not leaving here until I find and kill that Grimm. How are the two of you holding up back there?' she called out to Ren and Nora.

'I'm fine,' Ren said, only just realising that something was very wrong. When had Nora let go of his arm...? They were inseparable previously, so why would she let go of him in here? He couldn't believe he didn't notice before now.

'Nora...?' he quietly called out, not receiving a response.

'Nora?'

Still nothing.

'NORA!'

Summer quickly hushed Ren, attempting to calm his panicked state somewhat.

'Do you want the entire cave to be hunting us?' she harshly spat, 'because if you keep that up we're going to have every Grimm for miles around trying to kill us, and in case you haven't realised, we aren't exactly in the most lit up place on Remnant!'

Taking deep breaths to calm himself, Ren decided to go find her.

'I'm going to go search for her on my own. You guys go deal with whatever you came here to do,' he told them. 'Don't worry about me. I'm not as strong as you guys, but I'm still a Hunter.'

'Are you sure?' Qrow nervously asked, 'there are some Grimm in here that if they catch even the slightest whiff of you will we wanting to serve you for dinner. It's dangerous to go alone.'

'Just go,' Ren said confidently. 'I'll find Nora and then we'll find a way to figure out where you are, OK?'

'If you're sure,' he replied, 'good luck.'

Wandering off on his own into the darkness, Ren desperately backtracked, hoping he would be able to find something, _anything _that would lead him to Nora. As he carried on walking, a terrifying thought popped into his head.

_What if she was killed by a Grimm?_

It was definitely a possibility. After all, Qrow and Summer did say this cave would be filled with them, so someone falling victim to them would almost be expected.

_No, she couldn't have. Summer and Qrow would have noticed immediately when she disappeared. But if she isn't dead... where is she?_

Deeply confused, he decided to take a moment to think, resting against one of the cold, jagged walls. It wasn't exactly comfortable, but it was better than standing. She must have disappeared when they entered the pitch black area, that much he was certain of. It was just a matter of where. He didn't even realise she was gone. He was angry at himself, but more than that he was worried for Nora. Beginning to search again, his foot collided with a strangely solid object on the ground. It felt like a large rock of some kind, but the sound it made was completely hollow. Kneeling down to feel it, his hands gently brushed over it. He immediately knew what it was. The strangely symmetrical shape, the holes that were lined up, and the fact that a small part of it was bumpy... it was a human skull. Jumping back in shock, he fell backwards, his foot falling straight through the floor, dragging the rest of his body down with it. He fell around 6 meters before landing hard on his back, his whole body aching from the impact. Strangely enough though, while still extremely dark it was possible to make out the outlines of the walls. It seemed to be a tunnel network that navigated underneath the cave above.

'Nora... are you down here?' he whispered to himself, anxious to find her.

With that, he began walking once more, his legs still thumping from the fall.

* * *

Nora woke with a groan. She found herself lying in the dirt, and looking up saw the incriminating hole she fell from. Still groggy from being knocked unconscious, she stumbled to her feet, clutching Magnhild close to her chest.

'R-Ren...? Qrow? Summer? Are you there?'

Nora was surprised at how frightened she sounded. Sure, she was alone, and at this point she was very familiar with her friends dying, but she realised just how much she relied on the others to survive. She was so used to having people there to help there that she honestly didn't know whether she could overcome threats by herself. Nevertheless, she had no choice but to trudge onwards, scared or not. Cowering in the corner would not get her out of this dusty prison she found herself in, after all.

'Where are you guys...?'

* * *

'You think those two are alright?' Qrow said to Summer, who shrugged in response, even though she knew he couldn't see.

'I don't know. I hope so, but in a place like this...'

'Yeah, I know what you mean. Not exactly Hunter friendly. I've been getting the same feeling myself. If they find each other then-'

'Shh,' Summer interrupted, instantly coming to a halt. After a few seconds, they both heard a faint rumbling sound, like something charging towards them.

'What the hell is that?' Qrow whispered, Summer turning around to try and see what it was that was coming. Her efforts were in vain however, as the two of them were enveloped in dirt and dust as the floor beneath them caved in on itself, dropping the two into the lower shaft that Nora and Ren were also stuck in somewhere. Their expertise in handling unexpected situations allowed them to land on their feet, relatively unharmed.

'We can see again,' Summer pointed out, 'not very well, but we can see.'

* * *

'Four of them, huh?'

Somewhere else in the cave network, the Grimm's glowing red eyes gave off a fierce, intimidating atmosphere as she smiled viciously to herself. 'I hope they're better than the last humans who ventured into my territory. I do wish for some good entertainment this time.'

* * *

Unlike Ren and Nora who wound up in enclosed rooms, Qrow and Summer seemed to be in a long corridor.

'Which way?' Qrow asked Summer, seeing as she was the one who was in charge of the expedition.

'This way,' she said, pointing to the left of them. This is the direction we were heading upstairs. We keep going this way and we're bound to find something,' she said. Following her lead, they walked for what seemed like forever, but in reality it was probably closer to around 30 minutes.

'Ugh, does this corridor ever end?' Qrow complained, Summer shooting him an annoyed look to tell him to be quiet.

'Is it just me, or do you feel like we're being watched?' Summer said to him, carefully evaluating the surroundings.

'I've been thinking it since we dropped down here,' Qrow said, a much more serious tone to his voice now.

Walking for a few minutes more, they came to a large set of double doors.

'Do you think...?' Qrow began, before being interrupted by Summer.

'Yes. It's here.'

Opening the doors, a large fully lit room greeted them, and in the center a single Grimm said, head resting on her hands as she awaited their arrival. It was not a normal Grimm, however. This one did not have a mask.

'I've been waiting for you,' the Grimm spoke, 'you sure took your time getting here.'

Summer's face lit up in fury as she realised who it was that sat in front of her, and through clenched teeth, she spoke her name.

'Granberia...'


	19. Water to Whine

'Pregnant?' Yang exclaimed, her face contorted in shock, before turning to look at Ruby, her sister soon realising what she was gesturing.

'No! I haven't had any of those symptoms, Yang. I think it's just Velvet...'

The timid rabbit continued fretting over the situation, scared and nervous, like any girl would have been.

'I-it must have happened back there... when that man... when he...'

'Shh,' Yang cooed, noticing she was growing more and more agitated with every passing second, 'you don't have to think about it, alright? We're going to help you through this. You're going to be fine, Velvet.'

'Fine...?' Velvet replied, almost with a look of disbelief, 'I've never had a baby before! I've never even seen one being born, or anything like that! I... I don't know what to do...'

Scratching her head, Yang thought hard on the subject.

'Well, first things first. You have to decide whether you want to keep the child or not,' Yang straightforwardly told her, the look of shock on Velvet's face being completely unprepared for such a brash statement.

'What are you talking about!? Get rid of it...? I couldn't do that... even if it _is_ that man's... no, it's not his baby. It's _my _baby. Even if it grows up without a father, I'd never abandon my child...'

The three of them admired that motherly strength that Velvet possessed. Even throughout their travels she had shown that she had plenty of it. When in captivity, she wished to take the punishment so the others wouldn't have to endure any cruelty. When Pyrrha was killed, she was furious - not at the Grimm, but at herself, even more so than the others. She cared deeply about Pyrrha and wanted to protect her and the others more than anything, so to her letting Pyrrha die was proof of Velvet's failure. It was her proof that she couldn't protect that which she held dear, and deep down she worried that this trend would continue until she had nothing left to protect. Even now, harbouring another man's child – the child of the man who raped her and her friend, over and over – even now, she couldn't bring herself to hate this child, the fragile soul that grew lovingly inside her. And the others appreciated her decision, knowing that she would make a fantastic mother.

'When we get to that safe zone we're going to get you proper treatment, Velvet,' Ruby happily chimed in. 'We'll make sure nothing bad happens to you or your child. You can count on us.'

Velvet felt a strange feeling of nostalgia inside, as though the world was normal just for one fleeting moment. As though they were still back at Beacon, happily laughing about non-important things. As though everyone was happy.

'Yeah,' she said, a new wave of courage flowing through her thanks to her friends words. 'Let's go.'

She decreed to herself at that moment. Never again would she let her friends die as long as she was around. As long as she was there she would give everything, even her life to ensure their safety. Because her friends were the world to her. They were all she had left.

Continuing their trek, they eventually came across a marsh that seemed to be littered with bones.

'This place doesn't look too good,' Ruby commented, pinching her nose due to the stench.

'Yeah,' Yang agreed, searching around for anything that could be hiding in the muddy waters. Seeing that it was all clear, she plunged her left leg into the water, her foot sinking around a foot deep.

'No good,' Fox said, disappointed. 'We'll never get through all that. The exhaustion would drop us before we made it halfway,' he said, trying to think of another way through.

'Couldn't we just go around?' Velvet suggested, before Fox shrugged it off.

'Nah, this marsh stretches for miles. It'd be longer than trying to wade our way through the water.

'We could build a raft,' Ruby put forward. 'I mean, it can't be _that _difficult, right?'

'We could, but I don't know what we'd use to bind the logs together. We'd need something like a rope to keep the wood in one piece.'

Thinking for a second, Ruby had an idea.

'Would vines work?'

'Vines? I guess so, as long as they're thick enough,' he said thoughtfully, looking out towards the trees in the marsh.

'Go get some wood while I get the vines,' she told the group. 'Actually, Velvet, you just sit this one out, OK?'

Velvet silently thanked her for the consideration. None of them knew how to deal with a child, so they didn't want to take any unnecessary risks like pushing her too hard. Heavily trudging through the sludgy water, Crescent Rose in hand, she cut down as many vines as she could find, making sure to make them as long as possible. In the end, the amount she had turned out to be quite heavy, but she managed to carry them back to the others somehow. Plopping them on the ground, she took a well deserved break.

'Manual labour is hard,' Ruby joked, Velvet enjoying the pleasant atmosphere. 'I can't imagine what you must have to go through later on. I don't know much about pregnancy other than it's hard and painful.'

'It's not that bad at the moment,' Velvet informed her. 'I'm a little nauseous now and then, and it's definitely tiring me already but it's not like I'm coughing up blood.'

'Can pregnant women do that?' Ruby asked, her tone telling Velvet she was serious.

'I don't think so,' she said with a giggle. 'I hope not, at least.'

Why was Velvet getting all worried? Ruby's lack of information on the subject was even managing to make _her _question what she did know about childbirth.

Soon after, Fox and Yang returned with several trees worth of wood, Ruby deciding it was probably best she didn't ask how they acquired it. It took them a few hours, but they finally managed to make a makeshift raft, holding the wood together with the vines and after testing that it would indeed hold the four of them, they began to make their way through the sludgy marsh, Ruby begrudgingly using Crescent Rose as an oar. About halfway through the marsh however, the raft began to show signs of wear, occasional bits of wood chipping off every now and then. Finally, around three quarters of the way, the raft broke completely, leaving them to trudge through the remainder of the swamp on foot. It wasn't too far compared to how far they had come, but that wasn't their concern. They were more worried about the strange movements they saw out of the corner of their eyes, as if something was watching them, always just out of view.

'This is like something out of a cliché horror flick,' Yang commented, a frown crossing her lips as she held her arms up, Ember Celica ready to fire at a moment's notice. As they carried on, the movements only grew more and more frequent, to which Ruby was becoming increasingly paranoid. They soon saw land, however, and it seemed that was the time the creature chose to strike. Darting through the marsh at blinding speed, a strange creature leapt at Ruby, her good reflexes allowing her to nimbly dodge the attack before swinging Crescent Rose at it, but it was already completely out of sight.

'That was a Grimefish,' Fox observed, having paid close attention to it the instant it revealed itself.

'They're dangerous creatures, so be careful. Continuing towards their destination, the Grimefish didn't let up with its assaults. Leaping countless times toward the group, its attacks were dodged easily enough, but that wasn't the problem. The problem was that they all knew there were far more than a single Grimefish, judging from the frequency of its attacks. They were creatures known for being patient, so to suddenly attack in a frenzy wouldn't make any sense whatsoever. They soon began to feel the effects of the mud underneath their feet, their movements growing more sluggish with each passing second. They had to get out of there, and fast. Ruby frantically swung at the air, and Yang fired several shots toward them but the fish were too agile to be hit by them, instead narrowly avoiding each one while still nearly taking one of their faces off. The threat was soon over though, and the group reached the other side of the marsh safe and sound.

'That,' Yang began, panting as she spoke, 'was extremely annoying.'

'Tell me about it,' Ruby agreed, exhausted from battling the muddy water for such a long time.

They opted to take a break to regain their strength, to which they took short naps, one person staying on guard at all times. After they were all rested, they began moving again, only a short distance away from the harbour. There were several exotic plants on the way that they had never seen before even in botanist guides, which Velvet stared at in adoration. The beautiful colours they made calmed her somewhat, reminding her of all the good times she shared with her friends.

Soon enough, they came across the harbour that Fox had mentioned, but it was not the shining beacon of hope they had hoped for. It was littered with blood and evidence of large-scale battles, the likes of which they hadn't seen before, even after the destructive carnage that took place at Beacon Academy. There wasn't an inch of ground that was left its original colour, all of it taking on a crimson red colour. They could hear the howls of Beowolves nearby, so it was clear to the group which side had come out the victor of this bloody onslaught. Cautiously proceeding, they searched the docks for any boats that were still in a condition to even move, let alone take them across the water. No such luck. Any boats remaining were all either in several pieces or completely busted up inside, much to their dismay.

'Now what?' Yang said hopelessly, 'we can't swim across that. We'd never make it even a quarter of the way, never mind reaching the other side.'

Sighing, the group decided to take another look around the harbour to see if they could find anything. For a while, they didn't find anything other than debris and the occasional Grimm which they quickly dispatched, but after a while Yang alerted the others to a prized find.

'Is that what I think it is?' Ruby asked, her eyes lighting up in delight at what she'd found.

'Yup,' Yang answered gleefully, 'it's a row boat.'

'Are you sure that'll carry us all?' Fox questioned uncertainly, looking at the small wooden frame that didn't look to be in perfect shape.

'It's the only option we've got,' she reminded him. 'We either take this thing, or we stay here and starve to death. Your call.'

Reluctantly agreeing, they carried the boat out to the shoreline, seeing the faint light in the distance over the vast ocean.

'Is that it?' Yang asked Fox, pointing to the light.

'Well it's definitely the other side of the island,' he answered quietly.

Pushing the boat out, the group quickly hopped into the boat, Ruby pushing it again with Crescent Rose. She was all too happy to get the marsh water off her pride and joy as they calmly drifted through the moonlit ocean, the waves gently brushing against the boat, creating a soothing rocking sensation that soon sent Velvet to a peaceful slumber. It was serene, and if it wasn't for all the horror they had imprinted into their memories they would have thought that maybe it was all just one big nightmare. The calming atmosphere made them lower their guard, however, and because of that they didn't realise that they were being watched. The glowing red eyes, the amphibious fins, the graceful movement through the water... they were completely oblivious to it. The Grimm, however, already had the group in its sights.

'Dinner time,' it said to itself, licking its lips in a hungered frenzy. 'I hope you taste nice.'


	20. Granberia

Looking at the X-Class Grimm that sat confidently before them, Summer was seething with hatred. Seeing the Grimm that claimed her husband's life forced her to remember that terrible day all over again.

'Calm down Summer,' Qrow said, bringing her back to reality. He knew how she'd likely react to meeting the X-Class and so was prepared to calm her if necessary.

Taking a deep breath, she made sure not to make any rash moves.

'Granberia the Draconus...' she muttered under her breath, just loud enough for Qrow to hear her.

'Yeah, that's her all right.'

Almost as if at the mention of her name, Granberia stood up, slowly striding over to the two of them until she was but a few feet in front of them.

'Is this the man you want me to eat this time?' she cockily taunted, licking her lips as she took a longing gaze at Qrow, the scales on her arms and face twitching in excitement.

Turning away from them, she said one simple phrase that drove both Qrow and Summer past the point where they could hold back.

'Your friend died in vain all those years ago, just like you will today.'

Qrow immediately swung his scythe at her head, while Summer used her martial arts expertise combined with aura to launch a punch that could break steel.

But in the face of Granberia, this was nowhere near enough. She caught Summer's fist like it was nothing, and the blade of Qrow's scythe merely bent and distorted upon contact with her other hand, before she pulled the two of them together, slamming them into each other before finally letting them go, driving a fist into each of their stomachs with enough power to launch them off the ground. With no choice but to follow the momentum, the two winded Hunters crashed into the wall with such impact that it left indents of their bodies.

'Come on, I know you're a lot stronger than this!' Granberia angrily shouted, disappointed at the lack of a challenge the two were giving her. Summer instantly got back to her feet, ignoring her injuries in the process and threw her fist at the Draconus again, to which Granberia fired off a punch of her own. The second their attacks collided, Summer knew she had lost the trade, feeling the rippling effect of the bones in her fingers breaking one by one.

Dropping to her knees, clutching her fist in pain, she couldn't stop shaking.

_For what purpose had she come here? She wanted to slay the X-Class, so why... why were they so powerful... had she really not grown much stronger in the last ten years? No... she was much stronger than in the past. That much she knew, so why..._

And then it hit her.

_All this time... she's been holding back...?_

That terrifying prospect, that two Hunters on par with the SSS-Class Grimm could be outmatched so easily by one Grimm that was barely trying... she knew at that instant that she had condemned them both. Her lust for revenge had driven the two into a corner, one they couldn't simply turn and run from. It was fight or die, although in her mind the two options didn't seem to be all that different. They were both suicidal in the face of such insurmountable odds.

'Qrow, I'm sorry,' she whimpered, tearing up. 'I've doomed us both...'

'I'm sorry too,' Qrow answered, to which Summer looked up in confusion, before realising just what he was about to do, noticing the extreme amount of aura flowing around his body. 'QROW, NO! IF YOU DO THAT YOU'LL DIE!'

'I'm aware of that fact,' he calmly responded, 'but it's the only chance we've got to beat this bitch.'

Taking deep breaths, Granberia waited, arms crossed to see what he would do.

'Mach 1.'

With that, he took off with such blinding speed that even Granberia was surprised. He was like a speeding bullet as he slammed the back of his scythe into her stomach, her hardened exterior protecting her from any severe damage, but she was launched backwards nonetheless. It was the first actual hit they had managed to land on Granberia, and she smiled almost in psychotic joy at the decent challenge that lay in front of her.

* * *

'Reeeeeeen?' Nora gently whispered into the darkness, hopelessly trying to traverse the labyrinth of tunnels. She had no idea where she was to begin with, and she certainly didn't know how to get back there now. It didn't help that all the tunnels looked the same, either.

'Where is everyone?' she wondered out loud, before heading down a different corridor.

Ren marched on through the rocky tunnels in silence, trying to figure out some way to map the tunnels so he would have an idea of where he was, but more importantly, where he hadn't been. Any one of those places could have led to the exit, after all. Upon hearing a series of frustrated growls, however, he turned to see a pack of Beowolves hungrily eyeing him. How they had got into the tunnels he didn't know, but he now began to worry for Nora's wellbeing, knowing full well that if there were Grimm chasing him there could be Grimm also gunning for her. He broke into a sprint, not wanting to take on the horde of them behind him. Sure, he'd take a few down if he did but it would likely cost him his life, a trade which was not in his interests. As he futilely attempted to escape the Grimm, he noticed something in the distance. If it wasn't for his well trained eye and honed reflexes, the small container would have hit him straight in the face. A small container which, on contact, detonated into a cloud of pink smoke.

Seeing Ren's body soaring through the air, Nora cried out in surprise.

'Oh my god oh my god oh my god! Re-e-en! I'm so sorry I didn't mean to shoot at you I just heard Beowolves so I fired a shot and then I saw you and I'm so sorry!'

'Nora,' Ren said calmly, trying to keep up with her fast paced blabber, 'it's fine. You probably just saved my life.'

Both of them took a look to the right of them, noticing something quite odd.

'Does that corridor seem a lot longer to you?' Ren asked, still cradled in Nora's arms.

'Wanna check it out?' Nora excitedly responded, her sense of adventure taking over her inhibitions.

'Well, it looks like it's the best shot we've got,' Ren answered.

* * *

'Mach 2!'

Granberia was having trouble just seeing his movements, never mind actually counteracting them, yet despite this she felt a feeling of excitement that she had never known. The feeling of an enemy who could pose this much of a threat to an X-Class like her was like ecstasy to her. However, she quickly adapted to his fast speed and precise strikes, beginning to predict his moves.

_The left side of my face, four seconds from now._

Sure enough, that was where he placed his attack, but thanks to the fact Granberia was ready for it she leant back slightly, yanking his scythe forward to give her a perfect opportunity. As he was dragged forward with incredible speed, she pushed off the ground, raising her leg and swinging it in an arc that would directly clash with Qrow's face. And that it did. With a sickening crack, Qrow's body was flung helplessly into the wall, the sudden jostling of his insides making him vomit as blood poured from his broken nose and cut gums.

'Mach 3.'

Not taking a moment to rest, he quickly upped his speed once more, continuing his relentless assault against the Draconus.

_I have to kill her! If I don't... then Summer is as good as dead. I'm not letting the woman I care about pay with her life!_

His speed increased once again, much to Granberia's annoyance. Having just gotten accustomed to his previous speed, she had to once again predict his moves with some degree of accuracy if she wished to counterattack. Qrow let loose a flurry of strikes upon her while she tried to adjust to his new speed, his scythe barely leaving a scratch meaning he had to use brute force to inflict any sort of wound on her body. Granberia used her semblance in the meantime to harden her skin further, to the point where her skin was harder than platinum. Even so, she felt the immense blows thundering through her body every time his scythe slammed into her body, even to the point where she was beginning to ache under the stress his attacks were placing upon her body. She had to end it soon, or she would be the one coming out worse for wear in their bouts. Summer looked on in awe at Qrow's incredible display of skill and power. She knew he was strong, but this was beyond even her.

_Maybe he really can defeat her, _she thought to herself. _Maybe it's not hopeless._ Summer's eyes met Granberia's for just a fleeting moment, and she could swear in that moment she spotted a small smile crack onto the Draconus Grimm's lips before disappearing just as quickly as it appeared.

Granberia had an idea.

_I'll use her._

Slowly striding towards Summer, the Huntress immediately realised what her plan was. She tried to get away, to crawl to safety, but it was hopeless. Her shattered fist and bruised body were not letting her go anywhere anytime soon. She could do nothing but shiver in fear as the Draconus made her way across the room, Qrow's futile efforts to stop her being shrugged off, her body far too strong to dislodge from her path.

_I don't have time for this! _Qrow desperately thought to himself, before resorting to the strongest technique he possessed.

'Mach 5.'

Blurring across the room at blistering speed, he slammed his own body against Granberia's, sending the two of them rocketing across the room into the wall which elicited a surprised gasp from Granberia.

'Surprised, bitch?' he taunted, her face contorting in fury before she straightened out her sharp fingers, thrusting them directly through his chest, her rage overflowing.

He spluttered, the immense pain soon subsiding as his semblance began to quickly wear off.

_No more supersonic speeds for me I guess, _he thought to himself as his vision quickly began to go hazy, fading in and out of consciousness. The aura Mach 5 took to keep active as well as the injury Granberia dealt to him were more than enough to cause irreparable, fatal damage to his internal organs. Granberia, tired of toying with her food simply tossed him aside, his heavy breathing slowly quietening down before he finally came to a halt. As Granberia began to walk towards Summer again, she knew that her time was up too. Until it happened. The double doors leading into the room creaked open, both of them turning to face them.

_Please... no..._

Summer's thoughts soon became a terrifying reality. Oblivious to the chaos inside the room, Nora and Ren walked in, first noticing Granberia, then Summer's badly injured body, and finally Qrow's lifeless corpse.

Granberia looked at Summer, sadistically smiling at her in anticipation of what she was going to do.

And Summer knew exactly what that was.

'Granberia!' Summer desperately called out, the words in her mind sounding insane even to herself as she thought them. 'Granberia, please! They're just children! They didn't come here to challenge you! We brought them with us! They don't know our history! Please... I know I'm just a lowly human to you. I know you're far more powerful than I am. I know I'm going to die here. But please... let these children go.'

Granberia looked at her thoughtfully, before that evil smile returned to her face.

'Alright.'

Summer's face flooded with relief, before her joy was torn to shreds with her next words.

'I'll let one of them go.'

'One of them!? Granberia, please! You can have me! You can do whatever you want to me! PLEASE, LET THEM GO!'

The emotional distress in her voice carried through the air, Granberia almost pitying her.

'I'm sorry? I _can _have you? _You _are my prey. I _will _have you. Not _can. _And I shall have one of these children, too. Please, take as much time as you want to decide between yourselves.'

Without hesitation, she was instantly given an answer.

'Take me. But leave Nora alone.'

'Deal.'

Nora looked at him in horror, before Ren placed his arms on her shoulders, staring deeply into her eyes.

'Nora...' he said, a wistful tone plaguing his voice, 'Nora, please run away.'

'I'M NOT LEAVING YOU!'

Ren gave her one last kiss, before walking towards the Grimm.

'We shall fight,' Granberia commanded him, to which he complied quietly. He didn't want Nora to aggravate the Grimm. They had seen her unmasked face the second they had walked through the door, and didn't plan on giving Nora a chance to get involved in this fight. Nora tried to intervene anyway, but Granberia simply pushed her away, her powerful red eyes striking unimaginable fear into Nora's core.

Granberia and Ren faced each other, Ren realising his guns would be useless against her exterior, noting the pre-existing bruises on her body from the fight with Qrow. The two of them both knew Ren was no match for the Draconus, but this little charade went on anyway. Ren nimbly dodged Granberia's first punch, to which he retaliated with a palm strike directly on one of her bruises, empowering his hand with aura to use as a kind of weapon against her. Aura, unlike Qrow's scythe, would travel directly into her body to deal its damage, rather than trying to crack her tough exterior.

His attack, however, only served to fuel the Grimm's anger, as her speed vastly increased, her fist cataclysmically clashing against his stomach. The immense pain surging through his body told Ren that she had ruptured several of his internal organs with that one strike.

One hit, and it was already over. Looking over to the entrance, Granberia was surprised to still see Summer and Nora sat there. Summer staying wasn't optional, her wounds far too grievous to move. Nora, however, just sat there sobbing.

_Why... I finally managed to tell him how I felt about him a few days ago, and he felt the same way... so why does it have to be like this?!_

Nora's broken spirit amused Granberia.

'I'm surprised you're still here. In that case, why don't I give you a taste of summer school,' Granberia offered.

The term confused the two of them as they watched Granberia drag Ren's body back to the centre of the room.

'I'll teach you everything Summer knows.'

In that instant, Summer knew exactly what she meant.

'Don't you dare!' she screamed, pangs of pain and fury masking her voice. 'Don't you dare do what I think you're implying!'

'Don't be like that, Summer,' she taunted, a sickening smile spread across her face. 'You already know what this class entrails,' she said, Summer catching the disturbing pun at the end of Granberia's sentence.

Nora's weeping soon came to a halt out of sheer shock as Granberia revealed her razor sharp fangs to them, gently placing them on Ren's shoulder, her incredible arm strength preventing him from moving an inch as he braced himself.

'No... please don't...' Nora cried, her sobs turning to wails and Granberia tore into Ren's shoulder. Trying to stay strong, her didn't react to the pain at all other than a slight wince, not wanting to distress Nora further.

'Nora, please run!' he said, as Granberia ripped more of the flesh from his body, this time biting from his arm. The room was filled with Nora's screams as Granberia systematically tore Ren apart, quite literally.

A few minutes later, and Ren's limp body lay in a quickly growing pool of his own blood. Nora had watched every second of it, hoping it was all just a terrible nightmare. Clutching Magnhild in her hands, still crying, she charged towards Granberia, moving out of the way of her fist. Granberia's surprise was clear as Nora slammed the weapon against the Draconus' stomach, the exact place where Ren had targeted his attacks with aura. Granberia was sent flailing backwards, reeling in pain for the first time during the entire fight. StormFlower and Qrow's scythe might not have had the power to damage Granberia through her rock-solid skin, but Magnhild certainly did. A mixture of rage and sorrow in her eyes as she cried, she looked down into Granberia's fearful eyes, bringing Magnhild down countless times onto the Grimm's face. Again and again. Over and over. Swing after swing. She lost count of how many times she had attacked Granberia, but the Grimm was long past dead by the time she was done. But the damage was already done. Nora dejectedly walked over to Ren's maimed remains, Magnhild slipping from her fingers as she dropped to her knees, unable to comprehend the death of the man she had loved for years.

No.

It wasn't that she _couldn't _comprehend it. It was that she _wouldn't._ Cradling his lifeless head in her arms, her emotions could not be contained. She cried. She screamed. She despaired. But most of all, she _hated._ She was alone. All her friends were dead or missing, and Summer wouldn't be able to move for a long time. Even when she could move, Nora didn't want to stay with her any longer. She didn't want anything to remember her beloveds death by.

'REEEEEEEEEEEEEN!'

A desperate scream, from the bottom of her lungs. A scream of defeat, of painful failure. She had lost him, and in doing so had lost a part of herself.

She cradled him for what felt like an eternity, although in reality she held him for just an hour, her tears never stopping the whole time.

Slowly dragging herself to her feet, she picked up Magnhild and walked towards the door on the opposite side of the room they had entered, exiting into the light of the morning sky.

Without an objective or destination in mind, Nora just walked. She didn't know what else to do.

Inside the room, Summer understood Nora's decision completely. And on the inside, Summer silently mourned the loss of her dear friend Qrow, as well as a companion she felt like she had grown somewhat close to during their time together, Ren.

_Goodbye, Nora. And... I'm sorry._

_I'm sorry you had to go through all that._

_I was selfish._

_I was stupid._

_And my selfish stupidity cost us both dearly._

_I doubt we'll ever see each other again._

_Good luck, Nora._

In fact, she knew that they would never meet again. Hearing the scratching against the walls, she knew that in a few minutes the room would be filled with Grimm, desperately searching for their leader. It was times like these she cursed herself for not using a weapon, opting for just her fists instead. She had no means to take her own life. She had to simply wait as death slowly approached. Soon enough, the doors burst open, and Grimm flooded into the space, noticing the fresh meals that were laid out in front of them.

Summer fearfully closed her eyes, tears falling from her face, however she never stopped smiling. She had finally killed the Grimm that caused her so much pain, and while Taiyang was still on the loose, just claiming a single X-Class Grimm's life was enough for her to die feeling accomplished, even if it had come at such a grave cost. After all, there was even a survivor to the conflict. Soon, her tears stopped as she was torn apart, Beowolves ravaging what little of her body could still feel pain as her heart ebbed to a gentle, slow stop.

Their blood was the only evidence that a battle had occurred there, the Grimm being so hungry to even devour their bones.

Walking aimlessly across the landscape, Nora internally cursed everything.

_Even though there is light, this is a truly dark world._

_And I'm part of the dark world that Remnant has become._


	21. A Fresh Start

_**Authors Note: I'm feeling generous tonight so here, have a second chapter on me!**_

* * *

'Hey Ruby, what do you think the safe zone will be like?' Yang asked, trying to break the silence. As peaceful as it was, given the circumstances of their journey it still made her uncomfortable.

'I dunno,' she replied, deep in thought. 'I hope they have cookies though!'

Yang giggled a little at her sister's optimism. Even after all they had been through, she could still laugh and have fun. Yang really admired that part of her sister, even secretly wishing she could also share her happiness. But the ordeals that the group had been through had definitely changed Yang, and she could not get what those White Fang did to her out of her mind.

_I have Grimm genes inside me..._

_I'll be able to control it until I willingly let it out? What did that mean...?_

Fox soon added his own input to the conversation.

'Guys, get your weapons ready. Now.'

Shaking Velvet awake, they all wondered what was bothering him.

'Are we there already?' Velvet adorably asked with a yawn, one of her ears flopping over her face as she woke.

'There's something in the water,' Fox informed them. 'I heard splashing but assumed it was the boat. Just now, I saw something moving quickly through the water. Moving towards us.'

The fact that they were around halfway across the water only served to fuel his theory. After all, if a predator wanted to kill them in the water, they'd wait until the prey was as far away from land as they could before attacking. That way the prey wouldn't be able to escape, and being an aquatic creature they would naturally have an enormous advantage in the water.

Standing up to see if he could see the creature, for a second he thought maybe it had left them alone. Seconds later, however, he realised just what had happened.

'Velvet, get back!'

Pushing her backwards and almost tipping her off the boat, the instant he did so the boat shattered into splinters from below, a strange humanoid fish Grimm catapulting out of the air and launching Fox up with it. He tried swinging at the creature but it agilely kicked him, throwing him off balance and sending him hurtling towards the water. The salt water stung his eyes as he tried to look around amidst the bubbles, but he paid no heed to it as he frantically tried to swim back to the others.

Yang, Ruby and Velvet all stared at the Grimm which was now eyeing them ravenously in surprise, before Yang fired several shots from Ember Celica. At least, she tried to.

'God damn it! Not now!'

As the name would suggest, Ember Celica wasn't the greatest ally of the water, and Yang had frequently had a problem with it jamming in water back when she was still a student at Beacon. Seeing that Yang was helpless the Grimm instead went after Ruby, as she seemed to have more meat on her than Velvet. As Ruby desperately tried to dodge the incoming Grimm, she realised her attempt was futile. The Grimm had complete control over where it would land, and sure enough a few seconds later it plummeted directly into her stomach, dragging her down into the depths with it. She struggled to break free, and even tried using Crescent Rose to slice the Grimm open, but the water pressure was far too strong. She could barely move her arms, and despite the fact her weapon was much easier to carry in the water her swings were moving at a turtles pace. The Grimm easily dodged them, slamming into her from all sides as it tried to make her lose consciousness. In a desperate bid to kill it, Ruby changed Crescent Rose to its gun form and fired a few shots, but each one just left a slow trail behind it as it lagged forward. Ruby could feel her lungs just about ready to burst, and knew if she didn't get air soon she would be in serious trouble.

The Grimm, however, did not suspect that Yang would be such a strong swimmer.

_I'm not letting you die too, sis._

Those words pushed her forwards as she swam down towards the unsuspecting Grimm that was now pounding hell into her quickly drowning sister. It was having far too much fun with its new toy to care about the others right now. Yang made sure to stay out of its sight, and when she got up close to it she grappled its neck, to which the creature panicked. It had not expected to be interrupted, especially so deep in the water. Yang's chest felt like it was going to explode with the pressure the water was exerting on her, but she knew her sister was in a far worse condition. As the Grimm struggled, Yang pounded against its head, trying to cause some serious damage so it would have to back off. Soon enough, after several heavy blows to the face the creature swam for dear life, not looking back for a second as Yang swept down and picked up Ruby in her arms, desperately trying to get her to the surface in time.

_Please... don't let it be too late!_

Bursting up above the water, Yang took a deep breath before noticing her sister wasn't breathing.

'No, no, no! Sis, come on!'

She started pounding against the redheads chest, trying to make her cough up any water she had swallowed, and after around half a minute she still had not elicited a response.

'No...'

It was then that Ruby began spluttering, water gushing out of her mouth as she coughed heavily before losing consciousness again. But at least this time she was breathing. They were forced to swim the rest of the way to the shore, and they must have been blessed by the goddess of good fortune to not encounter any similar creatures on their journey. Upon reaching land, the group cleaned themselves up, Ruby still blissfully sleeping, her small chest motioning up and down to let the others know she was alright.

'We made it,' Yang said in sarcastic optimism.

'Just,' Fox added, Velvet not saying anything, being too focused on drying her ears to input into the conversation. When her ears got wet they went very puffy and it annoyed Velvet a great deal, often being a trait that people picked on her for.

When Ruby finally awoke, she found that she too had been cleaned up, her sister giving her a warm smile and an even warmer hug.

'I thought I lost you back there, sis,' she said, thanking the heavens that they had all made it through their trial. 'Don't scare me like that again,' she said through tears of joy.

'Come on,' Ruby said, 'let's stop crying and start moving.'

'She's right,' Fox added. 'Staying out here won't do us any good.'

'You got any idea where the place is?' Yang asked him.

'Yeah, a couple of the radio broadcasts they sent out came with co-ordinates. I know exactly where they are, and roughly where we are. Once we get close we should be able to see it, I mean if it really is a safe zone it should be noticeable, right?'

Following Fox's lead once more, they took frequent breaks to allow Velvet to breathe. Swimming such a long distance whilst already tired had taken its toll on the poor girl's condition, giving her a cold and fatiguing her. Ruby handed Velvet her cloak, to which Velvet happily accepted, but it did very little in the way of warmth. They heard the occasional howl of a Beowolf or a roar of an Ursa every now and then, but all in all the side of the continent they were on was much more docile than where they were just a few days prior to their voyage. Walking onwards, they eventually saw what appeared to be a large settlement in the distance, and they'd seen enough maps back at Beacon to know that they weren't looking at Vacuo.

'That's gotta be it!' Yang shouted excitedly, jumping up and down in anticipation.

_We did it..._

_We made it..._

_We're still alive..._

Words could not express the happiness the four of them felt as they approached the town, noticing that the closer they got to it the less and less Grimm saturated the area nearby. Eventually, they even saw a person. A soldier. At first, he pointed his gun at them, but upon realising they were survivors he quickly rushed over to help.

'Are you OK?' he asked, looking at the exhausted faces of the young Hunters in front of him.

'We're fine now,' Ruby answered softly, tired from their travels.

'Come on,' the soldier said, nodding his head to tell them to go with him. 'Let's get you inside those walls, get you some food, water and rest.'

Following him, they finally made it.

They were safe, after all the time they spent evading the monstrosities that lurked amongst the darkness, both Grimm and human alike.

After they had eaten and gotten warm, dry rooms to stay in, they happily went soundly to sleep for the first time in a long, long time. When they woke in the morning, they greeted the people in the city that they recognised, many of them teachers from Beacon, others people they had met at other times. Among them were Professor Port, Oobleck and Peach. They even saw Roman Torchwick wandering around, his trademark cane in hand. He was accompanied by a short girl that they had met before, back when Roman hijacked the Paladin. She was the girl who stepped in and saved him during their last encounter.

'Hello ladies,' Roman said, his pleasant demeanour shaking off any unpleasant feelings they held towards him. He was a _former _member of the White Fang, and his presence here meant the others deemed him safe enough to have around.

'Might I say it is lovely to see you again, although I must ask; where are the rest of your friends?'

They froze up at the mention of them. In their happiness they had completely forgotten everyone they had lost on their journey to this safe haven, and the pangs of guilt gnawed at them until Fox spoke up for them.

'Some of them... didn't make it. The others we still don't know about. We were separated a while back and haven't seen them since.'

'I'm sorry to hear that,' the girl at his side chipped in.

'Ah, my apologies,' Roman said sheepishly to them, 'my companion here is Neapolitan. I believe you've met before?'

'Yeah,' Yang answered, a slight pang of annoyance in her voice. 'We still have a score to settle,' she fiercely told her, the fire in Neo's eyes telling her she felt the same way.

'I'd be careful,' Roman warned, 'she gets very excited and sometimes carried away when she fights. She rather relishes the opportunity.'

'I'll keep that in mind,' Yang said, breaking away from Neo's eyes.

'We'll see you around,' Ruby told him, a small smile breaking onto her face.

'You guys are here?' the surprised, yet familiar tone of voice was one Yang immediately recognised as none other than Raven Branwen, a.k.a. Raven Xiao Long.

'It's good to see you guys! I was worried about you every day. I would have helped, but I have a lot of duties here. First off we're taking out all the known factions that oppose us humans. In some cases, the human enemies are worse than the Grimm. At least all the Grimm do is kill you.'

That drew winces from Ruby and Velvet, as they recalled their ordeal at the hands of the White Fang group that captured them.

'Adam isn't here, he's off with another group somewhere near Vale, but it's good to have you guys with us. I hope you enjoy what we've got here,' she continued before departing. 'I've got important stuff to go take care of, so I'll see you around!'

As she waved them off, they carried on towards the medical bay, Velvet bumping into someone as she turned the corner, knocking her on her back.

'Sorry,' the bespectacled man quickly apologised. Looking up, picking his glasses up from the ground, the adoration in his eyes for the beautiful Faunus he had bumped into quickly overcoming him as he lost the ability to speak in the face of such radiant beauty.

'Is... is something wrong?' Velvet shyly asked, slightly nervous at how much he was staring at her.

'Uhh... no, it's nothing... umm, my name's Perry! It's nice to meet you. I'm a Faunus too,' he said, pointing to his now extended claws. I'm a wolf Faunus, but I was always pretty shy so I always got bullied... but I'm here now! Oh... I guess I'm rambling a bit,' he said with a forced laugh as he scratched the back of his head. He got up and offered Velvet a hand, which she graciously accepted.

'Thanks,' she cutely managed to say in response, to which Perry blushed.

'A-anyway, I've gotta go, you take care!'

_She's beautiful,_ he thought to himself as he ran off in a trance, smacking his head into a street light as he ran.

'He's a bit of a klutz, isn't he?' Yang pointed out, to which Velvet of all people protested.

'But, he's not a bad guy! He's... nice. He reminds me of Yatsuhashi.'

Wanting to move on from the now solemn mood, Ruby quickly moved the group forward.

'Come on, let's get you to the doctor,' she said cheerily, as they continued on their way again.

* * *

'You're around two weeks pregnant,' the doctor told Velvet, her being a woman herself helping calm her nerves. 'Is this the father?' she said, nodding towards Fox, to which she shook her head.

'I see...'

Deciding not to pry further, the doctor told her to come in once a month for routine checkups if she wanted to keep the baby, which Velvet happily agreed to, holding her stomach.

_There's a new life growing inside me, _she thought to herself. _It's amazing. I know my child will grow up to be a wonderful person._

Beaming with happiness, the group finally had a place to call home. The months quickly passed, and Velvet's baby bump slowly grew with it. She couldn't have been more proud of her little one. She had decided to wait until it was born to find out it's gender, but she already knew exactly what she would name it.

If it was a girl, Coco. And if it was a boy, Yatsuhashi.

In all, seven months passed since they reached this place.

And then just like that, all that hope was destroyed.

They woke to their ears ringing, the smell of burning and destruction permeating the air and the sound of horrified screams of countless people singing through the streets.

'What the hell is going on?!' Yang shouted as she burst out the door, Ember Celica ready to go, and she hoped that what she saw were her eyes betraying her mind. The streets were lined with fire, Hunters fighting Grimm as far as the eye could see, explosions rocking the dirt underfoot. What disturbed her, however, was the fact that there were _humans _joining the attack. It gave her sickening memories of the White Fang, back when she was force-fed part of a Saberfang. She was about to join the fighting, when a terrible thought crossed her mind.

_Velvet!_

The heavily pregnant Faunus could definitely not protect herself against these attackers, so she turned her first priority to her friend, heading straight for her room. Slamming open the door, she wasn't there, and as the chaos continued outside, she realised she would have to help push back the attack, lest the entire city go down.

Ruby and Fox meanwhile were frantically searching every nook and cranny for the rabbit Faunus, but she was nowhere to be seen.

_Velvet... where are you?!_


	22. Hellfire and Brimstone

Blood.

Fire.

Death.

Destruction.

That was what Yang saw all around her as she rushed to go help the main force. Peter Port and James Peach were covering each other's backs and clearing out the Grimm in the central boulevard, while Oobleck, Roman and Neo tried to reach the main gate. It had been forced open by something that definitely wasn't Grimm, judging by the scorch marks that covered the ground nearby. It seemed that some kind of explosion had broken the locks, so it would take some time to fix them and close the gates again.

Yang joined in the fighting, killing several Beowolves and Ursa before she was attacked from behind by another pack of Beowolves.

_What the hell? They're using strategy...? This isn't like the Grimm at all... how can this be happening?!_

* * *

'It's really quite something, isn't it?' a sultry voice said to a large, fire covered Grimm.

'Yes, it's quite the show,' he responded in a deep, victorious tone. 'I never knew you were so good at strategy,' the Grimm complimented.

'You don't lead the White Fang by being a pretty face,' she responded, her eyes burning with passion for the events that were unfolding before her eyes, her two subordinates watching onwards with fascination.

'With my influence over the lesser Grimm and your ideas, we'll do great things together,' the Grimm said, a pleased expression on his face. 'First, we destroy their 'safe haven.' Then we destroy the White Fang hideouts spread around the land. Finally, we'll destroy her...'

'I assume you're talking about Yuki?'

'Yes. The only X-Class to ever challenge my power. How dare she defy a perfect being such as myself? I am the only one fit to rule this world,' he said, a malevolent grin taking over his face.

'You,' he said, pointing to an SS-Class Ursa that was standing guard nearby, 'take some of the more powerful Grimm and raise hell. I don't want any survivors.'

'Understood,' the Grimm replied, leaving immediately to gather reinforcements and launch the second stage of the assault.

'My plan has only just begun,' he said, laughing to himself at his success.

* * *

After avoiding several attacks from the Beowolves, Yang nimbly dodged in between their claws, systematically planting shotgun shells into each of their heads, one by one.

'Yang!'

The familiar voice of her sister called after her, and she ran over to give her a hug. She was just glad Ruby was safe.

'Have you seen Velvet?' the redhead quickly asked, in a frenzied state as she fretted over their missing friend.

'No,' she said, clearly troubled by the fact that her sister had no luck either. 'Keep searching,' Yang told her. 'I'll help keep these guys away. When you find her, protect her with all you've got,' Yang encouraged, to which Ruby nodded and smiled.

'I will, sis. You can count on me!'

Leaving again, Ruby's enthusiasm never failed to amuse Yang. She cracked a small smile before returning to the others, clearing out wave after endless wave of Grimm. They weren't all that strong, but they were employing tactics that the Grimm had never before been seen to use, so it caused quite a bit of commotion. The Atlesian soldiers shot as many down as they could whilst perched atop the wall just around the entrance, but several still managed to sneak their way in.

Even Roman and Neo seemed to be struggling, and Yang remembered her previous encounter with Neo being quite the one-sided battle.

* * *

_Where are you Velvet?!_

Ruby sprinted through the back streets while Fox searched the rows of houses, desperately trying to locate their rabbit-eared friend. No such luck. What Ruby did find, however, caused fear to course through her body. She kept coming across the occasional Grimm that had somehow managed to sneak past all the carnage at the main entrance.

_She couldn't have... no. Stop thinking like that, Ruby._

Shaking the thought from her mind, she desperately sprinted as fast as her legs could carry her, praying that she could find her in time. Fox was also having no luck in his search, finding only empty houses and furniture strewn about the place as people tried to flee in a panic.

* * *

The defence would not hold for much longer. Yang knew it, and the others all knew it too. Roman, Neo and Oobleck were doing their best, but they were being overwhelmed by the sheer numbers of Grimm that were invading. It didn't help that several of the Atlesian soldiers were beginning to fall prey to the Grimm who feasted hungrily on their corpses.

Then, all hope of protecting the main entrance crumbled as a horde of S-Class Grimm and above began to storm through the gates, decimating all opposition that stood in their way.

'What the hell is happening?!' Yang cried out in frustration, seeing the unbelievable numbers that were beginning to push through. They had to retreat. There was no other option. Even with the teachers and a handful of other powerful Hunters there, they stood no chance against the overwhelming odds they were faced with.

They turned and ran, and Yang watched people be brought down left and right. This wasn't a battle. It was an extermination. An assault of this magnitude had obviously been in planning for a while, and the preparation that had gone into it was bearing ripe fruit.

'Go! Now! We'll cover your retreat, just get as many people away as you can!'

Professor Port's words sent a solemn chill down Yang's spine, as Peach and Oobleck both stayed with him, fending off the Grimm to the best of their ability. As Yang, Roman and Neo powered down the streets, she heard the painful screams of first Port, then Oobleck, and then Peach. She didn't have to turn around to know what had happened.

'You guys! This way!'

Looking for the origin of the voice, her eyes met Raven's for a fleeting moment as she passed by an alleyway, which she quickly turned down to head after her sister, Roman and Neo in tow.

Following her into a large building which even in the dim light Yang recognized as Central Hall, the place where all the major decisions happened, they headed into the cellar. The door had several regular locks and dust seals that had to be opened before they could gain access, making it perfect for staking out.

The cellar was as large as the ground floor above, which had more space than several houses combined, so there wasn't a capacity issue. What Yang had a problem with; however, was the distinct lack of her sister. Or Velvet or Fox, for that matter.

'Where... where are my friends?!' she managed to blurt out in between strained pants, before Raven took her shoulder in her arms.

'I don't know. Adam's out looking for more survivors now, and I'm going back out to search for them in a second. I will come back with them, I promise you.'

Raven's reassuring words gave Yang some comfort as she let herself fall to the floor, too exhausted to move another inch.

* * *

'Should we pay them a little visit?' the woman asked, her clothes flaring with embers as she and her two allies impatiently tapped their feet behind her. They wanted something to do, and they didn't care if that something was to kill humans or Grimm. If their leader gave the order they would comply, no matter the request. The Grimm smiled to himself before replying.

'Very well. Show those pitiful enough to run away just how terrifying a Grimm-human alliance can be.

Signalling to the two stood beside her, she said two words that made them unbelievably happy.

'Let's go.'

* * *

Desperately panting, careful not to strain the woman attached to his hand, Perry led Velvet far away from the chaos that had consumed the Central Boulevard.

'Here,' he spluttered, leading her indoors, 'we should be safe here,' he informed her.

'Where are we?' she asked, heavily out of breath due to the child inside her.

'This is my home,' he proudly responded. 'We need to go down to the basement,' he told her. 'Go. There's a tunnel down there that leads outside the walls. I built it myself, so I know it's safe. I'm going to gather some food and supplies to take with us; you go get a head start in that tunnel. Make sure you wait for me before you get out, though. God knows what could be on the other side, what with all that's going on in the city.'

Whilst gathering food, Perry soon felt fear creep through his body.

'So, the basement, huh?'

Turning around, he saw a White Fang member stood there in front of him, arms crossed leaning against the stairs. He slowly reached for the weapon at his side, a pickaxe with the underside of the pick sharpened to the point where it could probably cut through steel with ease.

'Tell me Perry, why did you betray us? Why did you run off with these cunts? It was almost like you never wanted to be one of us in the first place. Did you think you could just _leave _the White Fang and we wouldn't come for you?'

'No,' Perry sternly responded. 'I knew you'd come for me. I just didn't know when,' he answered, his eyes full of determination. Slowly raising his pickaxe, the White Fang member laughed mockingly at him.

'You call _that thing _a weapon? No, no, no, Perry. _THIS _is a weapon.'

Revealing the large battleaxe he had kept behind his back, he held it in his hands, swinging it intimidatingly.

'You'll pay for what you did, Perry.'

As the White Fang charged at the wolf Faunus, Perry pressed a button on the bottom of the pickaxe, causing the head to fly forward attached to a chain.

The pick itself narrowly missed the White Fang, his head moving just in time to dodge before he swung his battleaxe at Perry who leant backwards, feeling the rush of air as the axe missed his face by millimetres. Perry smiled to himself as he pressed the button again, immediately retracting the head of the pick, causing the bladed edge to cleave straight through the White Fang's neck.

'I'm not the same Perry I was back then,' he said to the dead man lying in front of him, blood still shooting from the severed arteries where his head had once been.

_I have to go, now. There'll be more of them coming after me._

_Sorry, Velvet, but you're gonna have to make it on your own._

_This is for your own good._

Locking the basement, he exited the entrance to his house. The familiar smell of burning filled his nostrils immediately, and he quickly set out, causing as much commotion and making as much noise as possible. Soon after, he had caught the attention of several White Fang and Grimm alike, all of which he dispatched with ease. It wasn't enough. There were still countless numbers in the area. He had to find some way to draw them out, or Velvet would still be in extreme danger.

Looking up at the church nearby, the time read 11:17. It was getting extremely late, and soon he knew the fighting would slow to a halt once the stragglers on the street had been wiped out. He had to find a way to attract attention before then, and fast. And that's when it hit him.

_The church! There's a giant bell in the clock tower!_

Immediately changing his destination, he headed straight for the bell.

_If I can reach it in time... I can save everyone else!_

Not even bothering the enter the Church, he simply used his superior Faunus agility to scale the church walls at incredible speed.

_Sorry, God, but your church is gonna have to take a few scratches. Forgive me when I get up there, OK?_

As he reached the bell, his blood raged through his body. _This is it, _he thought. Shedding a few tears, he knew what ringing the bell would entail for him. It was a suicide mission. As soon as they swarmed the church, he would have no escape. But a heroic smile crossed his lips.

_I can at least take as many of those fucks out with me._

**DING-DONG. DING-DONG. DING-DONG.**

The three gongs that resonated through the city drew the attention of every White Fang and Grimm in its borders, and every last one rushed over to go investigate. Perry soon saw the onslaught of enemies that were quickly approaching, and staying in the tower, he decided to try and kill as many as he could while they scaled the building. As Grimm and White Fang rushed up to his location, he began his attack. Firing his pick to knock them off the walls, breaking the stairs so they'd fall to their death, he used every trick he could think of. Eventually, he even cut the rope that the bell was attached to, crushing several of them who were waiting at the bottom of the stairs. He must have killed upwards of 30 before they finally reached him, first clawing his legs so he was rendered unable to stand, but that didn't stop him. Using his Faunus claws, he slit the throat of one Grimm that attacked him, and sliced the knees of another White Fang before feeling the violent wave of attacks ripping through his system. He was beaten, ripped and sundered, before finally being shot and eaten by the Grimm. His last thoughts were the words he could never say.

_I'm sorry, Velvet._

_I love you._

_Live, for me._

* * *

Raven, Ruby and Fox all turned the instant they heard the bell chime. Realising the Grimm would congregate there, Raven rushed for the entrance, knowing is she could secure it maybe they could keep the Grimm inside. She'd been inside the Central Hall cellar enough times to know that the sound of the bell reached even there, and knew they would all come pouring out soon enough, but as she approached the entrance, she saw an all too familiar sight that she rather wished she hadn't. She had suspected that the woman before her had something to do with the attack, but she hoped she was wrong.

'Cinder...'

The ember-adorned woman cockily smiled at Raven, Mercury and Emerald standing either side of her.

* * *

After waiting near the end of the tunnel for at least 20 minutes, Velvet realised something.

Perry wasn't coming. He had intentionally stayed behind to ensure her survival. He knew she wouldn't let him go without her, so he cleverly persuaded her to go on without him. Her heart sank, as one of the people she dearly cared about gave their life for her yet again.

_When will it end? When will people stop dying for me?_

Silently grieving inside, she exited the tunnel, but what greeted her was far from friendly.

'Hello, little rabbit,' a White Fang said, surrounded by several others.

'I'm here for revenge,' he said, a twisted smile contorting across his face. 'You killed my brother when you destroyed that facility. He told me so himself with his dying breath. And I'm going to make you suffer hell for it.'

* * *

Rendezvousing with Ruby, Fox shared his intelligence with her.

'So, wait. We've searched _everything, _and she isn't here? You don't think she's...' Ruby exclaimed, growing more worried.

'No way,' Fox replied. 'It's far more likely she escaped the city somehow. There must be another way out that we don't know about. For now, we should go secure the entrance at least. I'm sure the others will have heard the bell, and they'll make their way out as we speak.'

'You're right,' Ruby answered, still not completely convinced, but it was all she could do to keep herself from falling apart.

* * *

Everyone in the cellar heard the bell as well, immediately understanding what it meant. It meant someone was luring the enemies away from the entrance, and that gave them a short window of time to escape. All of them quickly gathered their things, Yang included. Despite the fact she was exhausted, she wanted to survive. She wanted payback.

This time, it was their time to attack.


	23. Bloodstained Revelations

'Cinder...'

Raven's voice was filled with malice for the person behind the attack.

'I see you've got your bodyguards with you again,' she said, drawing her sword in its purple form, not taking her eyes off Cinder, Mercury and Emerald for a second.

'They provide a little extra firepower,' she proudly stated. 'It's always nice to have that little extra in times like these.'

'Yeah, but when you're working _with _the Grimm that rule doesn't really apply, now does it?'

'Don't be like that,' Cinder said, her voice still carrying that same condescending tone as they last time they had met, 'I'm helping them because I knew it would lead me to you,' she cockily responded. 'I want to be the one who ends your pitiful life, not some Grimm.'

With that, she immediately launched several fireballs at Raven, her purple blade firing pulses of aura back at her which dissipated the dust on contact, creating a cloud of dust in the process.

_Now's my chance! _Raven thought to herself, quickly changing the sword to red and creating a portal behind Cinder, before changing to black and raising her blade. _Game over, Cinder. _Bringing her sword down, the ground cataclysmically ruptured on contact, sending shards of shrapnel and overturned stone all over the courtyard. Amidst the destruction, Raven could not see a trace of Cinder or her allies, but kept her guard up. Sure enough, a few seconds later she was assaulted from both the left and right, the left side flying in with their feet while the right side fired several rounds of ammunition her way. Acrobatically backflipping out of the way of the bullets, she changed her sword to white mid jump before raising it to her left, the foot of Mercury clashing with the shield her white blade provided.

'You're not bad,' Mercury complimented, noting her impressive skill with the blade, as well as her quick thinking.

'Not too shabby yourself,' she shot back, a fiery tone to her voice. 'It's a shame your little plan didn't work, though,' she said as she slashed at him, Mercury dodging out of the way before she changed her sword to Gold and deflected Emerald's bullets with ease. She soon realised that she wouldn't be able to keep it up three on one, however, as Cinder fired several more blasts of dust-enhanced aura towards her, those being blocked by the golden blade as well. It wasn't long after that she found herself focused solely on defence, having no time to attack in between lest she wish to be riddled with holes. Backing into a corner, she had nowhere left to run. She wasn't able to use her white blades defensive properties several times in a row, as it took a heavy toll on her body, and her movements were beginning to get much slower and sluggish from fatigue.

It was then that she received a saving grace, a familiar red blur whizzing by and almost decapitating Emerald had she not ducked at the last second, as well as a man who blocked Mercury's blows as if they were trivial, while retaliating with his own blades.

'Need a hand?' Ruby said, confidently turning to Raven with a smile, receiving one in return.

_Where did she get so much confidence from?_

Raven admired her spirit. After everything she'd been through and seen, she still retained her happiness and confidence. She never truly lost faith in her friends or her own abilities. She worried about them, but that was just because she cared.

'Thanks,' she muttered, clambering to her feet.

She was going to find Cinder.

She was going to kill her.

* * *

Yang and the others hurriedly made their way to the entrance of the city, hearing the commotion at the church behind them. There was one question Yang couldn't get out of her head as she ran though. One that was driving her insane with worry.

_Who rang the bell?_

Trying to push the question aside, her feet pounding against the pavement with the dozens of other survivors, they could hear the faint sounds of agitated Grimm beginning to die out. They were coming. That was the only conclusion she could find for them to suddenly stop when they were causing such a commotion a few seconds ago. Whoever was up in that tower no longer dwelled in this world, and she silently mourned and thanked her mysterious guardian angel for granting her this chance to escape.

'Not so tough now that it's one on one, huh?' Ruby taunted, Emerald clearly growing frustrated at the futility of her attacks. Ruby had easily managed to dodge each one of her bullets, and along with that she was growing increasingly weary as Ruby's relentless flurry of swings and shots, seamlessly integrating with one another drove her to the height of her skill. The Huntress was far stronger and much more skilful than Emerald. That much she knew.

_How do I beat this girl? She must have some kind of weakness..._

Lost in her thoughts, she reacted slowly to the redheads sudden appearance in front of her, raising her arms to fire shots at her. It was only when she fired a strangely low amount of bullets that she realised just what her slow reaction had cost her. Looking down at her left arm, it was no longer there. Crying out in pain, she clutched the bleeding mass of flesh where her arm had once connected to her shoulder, the pain forcing her to her knees. Ruby wasted no time in making sure Emerald would never again commit such atrocities, placing the scythe at the green-haired girl's throat.

'Any last words?' Ruby said, her monotone voice telling Emerald that she had no intention of letting her live.

'Only this,' Emerald began, 'I don't regret a single thing that I've done. I did it all for Cinder, and I would gladly do it again.'

With those words, Ruby pulled the trigger on Crescent Rose, the momentum launching the blade straight through Emeralds neck, her head rolling to the floor as her body lifelessly collapsed next to it.

_I'd better go help the others, _she thought to herself, making her way back to where Fox and Raven were.

* * *

Fox was having a little more trouble with his encounter, as he could easily block Mercury's attacks, but he also struggled to land any of his own. Growing frustrated, he began to grow reckless, allowing attacks to graze him or sometimes hit him outright, all for a chance to get a single attack of his own in.

_All I need is one hit... one hit and this fight is done!_

His recklessness soon began to cost him though, as the injuries he sustained were soon inhibiting his ability, Mercury himself still not taking any hits from the battle. Fox's muscles were groaning under the strain he was exerting on them, but that didn't stop him. He continually pushed himself until his body could take no more. Collapsing under his own weight, every bead of sweat that dripped off him felt like it was falling in slow motion. In fact, when he heard the ear-rattling bang he thought that was it.

_It's over. _

But the bullet never came. Jostling his senses, he realised that the noise hadn't come from in front of him. It had come from _behind _him. Turning, his eyes drooping out of exhaustion, he could faintly make out the billowing cape, along with the black and red outfit. And along with that, a trail of smoke coming from the end of a suspiciously similar scythe-shaped gun. That was the last image he saw before he passed out, however, the blood lost from his wounds putting him at serious risk.

When next he woke, the redhead was sitting by his side, always alert in case of any unwanted intruders.

Looking at his wounds, he saw that they had been haphazardly patched up with cloth, and felt a slight stinging from where she had sterilized the cuts.

'You'll be fine,' Ruby said, giving him a heart-warming smile. 'Just get some rest. You're not going anywhere in a hurry.'

* * *

'Cinder! Come out right now, or I'll make you regret running from me!'

Her sharp eye noticed the blast of aura hurtling towards her as she turned her golden blade on it, blocking the attack easily.

Except that wasn't her real attack. Another attack had been fired almost at the same time as the first, only on the opposite side of her body. It was an attack that even for Raven was impossible to avoid, and as she felt the searing heat scorching her back she knew that she had been beaten. Ruby had taken Fox and left at her command to go treat his wounds, which meant she was all alone in this encounter. Looking up, she saw Cinder strolling towards her from the direction of her first attack, a cocky swagger to her step.

'How did you...?'

'Oh please,' Cinder replied, 'don't tell me you haven't figured it out?'

Seeing Raven's bewildered expression, she explained what she meant.

'That second attack? That was not me.'

Raven, shocked and confused, turned to see a Grimm walking towards her. An X-Class Grimm. One with fiery wings, and embers adorning his arms.

'No fucking way...'

Raven immediately recognised the male Grimm that commanded those powerful flames.

'Father...?'

'Yes, my dear Raven. And what a woman you've become. Capable of tackling some of the strongest Grimm, and going toe to toe with my partner in destruction here. That's quite the impressive feat you've accomplished.'

Turning to Cinder, he continued talking.

'I still feel a little uneasy about killing my own kin, so I'll let you decide her fate. What will it be?'

Smiling to herself, the next words Cinder said almost mockingly, and Raven couldn't decide whether it was a curse or a blessing.

'I think I'll leave her like that. It's rather enjoyable, watching her in such a pitiful state. Much more fun than simply killing her would be, anyway.'

'As you wish. I've recalled the Grimm that I sent here. We lost a few of them but we annihilated the vast majority of the townsfolk, so I'd say that today was rather a success, wouldn't you agree?'

'Yes. Although I did hope to get more out of those useless buffoons,' she said, distastefully looking towards the corpses of Mercury and Emerald.

'Some things in life are a disappointment,' he added. 'You, on the other hand, are not one of them.'

Forced to watch this sickening scene, the Grimm leaned in and kissed Cinder, the two of them shoving their tongues longingly down each other's throats.

'Let's depart,' the Grimm said. 'We can discuss our next course of action when we get back.'

'Or, we could do something a little more active,' Cinder suggestively said, seductively waggling her hips at him as she began to leave.

'That sounds enjoyable as well. I look forward to it.'

With that, the two of them were gone.

The second she was sure they were completely out of view, she changed her sword to green, bracing herself for the impact as she rolled over and drove the sword into her stomach. Wincing at the shock of her blade penetrating her body, she soon felt the scorched skin on her back begin to drop off, replaced by a fresh new layer of healthy skin. It didn't heal her exhaustion, however, and she passed out right there in the middle of the street. When she woke, she had been carried back inside one of the buildings, where the survivors were all grouped up. They wanted to wait for everyone to recover before leaving, an idea that Ruby proposed. Raven agreed with it, despite the risk of an attack. Even if she was strong, she was still an idealist at heart. She wanted to help everyone.

Yang noticed her sisters bizarre behaviour even though they had barely spent any time together, confronting her about it.

'Was it really that obvious?' Raven responded unconvincingly.

'Yeah, pretty much. What's wrong?'

'I saw him, Yang... I saw the X-Class that co-ordinated this attack... not just that, I _knew _him. When I saw him... I couldn't believe it. I thought I was having a nightmare. It's him, Yang.'

'Who? It's who?'

The blonde brawler was becoming unnerved by Raven's strange attitude, and she had every right to be, for her next words drove chills down her spine.

'Taiyang Xiao Long.'

* * *

The White Fang stared maliciously at Velvet as she froze on her hands and knees, terrified of what these men wanted. Her last encounter with them had been less than desirable.

'Your... brother...?'

'Yeah. He was a rabbit Faunus, just like you and me.'

Just the mention of it immediately told her who this man was talking about.

_Why now... I was finally managing to forget about the pain he caused me, so why now...?_

'I've gotta say though, you've gotta be one hell of a slut. What kind of bitch goes off the second after killing someone and gets herself knocked up? People like you make me wanna fucking kill something. So, whose the daddy, eh? Maybe I'll kick hell into him, too.'

'Your brother is the father,' Velvet truthfully responded, fearing his reaction. Sure enough, his face contorted out of rage as his boot connected with her face, a sickening crack reverberating through her skull.

'DON'T YOU FUCKING SCREW WITH ME! TELL ME THE FUCKING TRUTH, RIGHT NOW!'

Panicking, she quickly blurted out the first name that came to her mind.

'Perry! A Faunus called Perry! He's the father!'

As tears streamed down her face, she hoped the man's silence indicated he was going to let her go.

No such luck.

'That prick, huh?' the Faunus said, a tinge of hatred in his voice. 'That backstabbing scum fathered that baby?'

'Yes!' Velvet cried out in a mixture of frustration and fear, the pain still sending shivers of fright echoing through her fragile body.

'Where is he?' the man asked, although it felt more like a demand. Velvet didn't answer. She didn't know where he was, but if she said that she knew she would only draw more aggression from him.

'WHERE IS HE?!'

'I DON'T KNOW!' she screamed back, her wavering voice seeming so tiny and insignificant in the face of the intimidating figure that towered over her.

'I see,' he said, his voice containing a gentler edge to it now. 'Pin her,' he commanded to his friends, the group happily complying. Velvet didn't know what they meant until they extended her arms and legs out, holding them in place as the man stood atop her.

'In that case, you're going to feel twice as much pain to make up for his absence.'

As he said that, he revealed a series of daggers sprawled across his chest, and taking one in his hand, he drove it directly into the palm of her right hand, effectively nailing her to the ground, Velvet's shrill shrieks of pain coursing through the midnight air. He did the same to the left, then her left leg and right leg, all the while Velvet screaming bloody murder into the night sky.

'Oh, will you just _SHUT UP?!_'

Taking one of her ears in his hands, he yanked with all the strength he had, Velvet letting loose blood-curdling screams of agony before he finally snapped, pulling a dagger out and hacking his way through it.

'SHUT UP! SHUT UP SHUT UP SHUT UP!'

He continued screaming this as he put her through hell, leaving her remaining ear alone. But even in the tremendous amount of pain she was in she felt his boot connect with her body, but she was so shocked she could barely comprehend it, for it wasn't her head the man had kicked.

_Did he just...?_

Almost as if confirming her horrifying suspicion, he delivered another kick.

A kick that went straight to her stomach.

'NO! PLEASE! ANYTHING BUT THAT!'

Velvet's frantic crying seemed to fuel the man's desire to watch her suffer. Could he really hate her that much? Did he not know of the atrocious acts that his brother had done to her? That was all Velvet could think of as the man continually pounded away at her stomach, five, six, seven times. Ten times. Twenty times. A hundred times. She didn't know. She was too busy incoherently blubbering and babbling mercies and apologies to count. After a few minutes, he grew bored of what he had done to her.

'Let's go,' he commanded his friends, to which they all smugly left, following the monster who had committed such sins right before their eyes.

_Please don't leave me..._

_Please, somebody, help me..._

The vile men just left the poor, helpless girl there, crying and in pain, like some sick sacrificial ritual.

She considered using every last bit of strength she had to tear her hands up through the daggers, but she couldn't bring herself to do it. If, by some miracle her child was still alive, she was not about to jeopardize that by causing even more trauma to her body. She waited there for minutes. Hours. The sun rose and fell again, and at least two days passed before she finally heard footsteps through the trees nearby. Thanking the heavens, she looked towards the direction of the sound, only to recoil in terror and horror as what awaited her was not human. It was a Grimm. But not just any Grimm. It was a Grimm without a mask, one with blazing, fiery wings and malevolent, red eyes.

'Some of my allies told me that I could find a poor, lost soul here,' the voice said to her.

'Please... at least let me have my child first...' she knew begging for her life with a Grimm, especially one of this power was out of the question, yet she tried anyway.

'Very well,' he replied, much to her shock. 'I shall let you see your child before you die.'

A wave of relief overcame her, before he continued advancing towards the girl, kneeling by her side. A smile broke out across his face as he bared his fangs at her, Velvet struggling slightly in fear.

'What are you doing!? You said you'd let me see my child...' she responded, her voice wilting pitifully towards the end of her sentence.

'That is correct, I did. And I was not lying. But did I say _when _you would see your child?'

Velvet's face lost all colour when she realised just what he was implying, before he tore open her stomach, retrieving the unborn child that was resting peacefully in her womb.

'That is a shame,' the Grimm said wistfully, 'it would appear your son did not make it.'

'My son...? It's a boy...?'

That was the only thing she could say as the pain seared through her. The only thing to stop her going completely insane.

'Yes. While I am partial to boys, I do prefer it when they're alive. They taste much better that way.'

With a horrified look, Velvet stared in disbelief, the Grimm cracking a sickening smile as he made eye contact with her.

And then he did it. His fangs sank into her son. That was it for Velvet. At that moment, she completely broke. Somehow remaining conscious despite losing so much blood, the only sounds she could hear were those of his fangs sinking into flesh and soft bone, before it finally stopped and he turned his attention towards her. He ate her as slowly as possible from her feet upwards, before finally meeting her eyes one last time, as his fangs ripped into her skull, ending her life.

'Despair truly is delicious,' he said, wiping his mouth as blood dripped from his teeth. 'Although I do wish they wouldn't make so much of a mess when they die.'

And with that, the fiery winged Grimm left, returning to wherever he had appeared from.


	24. Counter Attack Mankind

Yang looked at the broken faces of their comrades as they all sat, huddled around a warm fire in the center of the room. Yes, they had somehow survived. Yes, they were strong enough to probably fend off the Grimm – for a while at least. But even knowing this, the skirmish that had kicked off between the two sides had taken its toll on everyone who was left. The enemies retreated, but they knew that they were the ones who had lost the battle. With a sigh, Yang sat back down next to Raven.

'Our dad is an X-Class?' she mumbled to herself, disheartened. 'But... why? Why would he join the creatures he swore to destroy?'

'I don't know,' Raven solemnly answered her, Velvet's disappearance clearly weighing heavily on Yang's mind. 'Hey, don't look so glum,' she said, nudging her sisters shoulder reassuringly.

'How can I not? One of my friends has gone missing. One of my heavily pregnant friends. She just... disappeared. I'm starting to think that she's-'

'Don't you dare say it,' Raven said, her harsh tone shocking Yang. 'Your friend is fine,' she assured, 'Come on, it's not as if Taiyang got to her or anything. She's fine.'

'I hope so.'

Ruby had been tending to Fox's injuries herself, the cities doctor having been slaughtered in her office. Ruby took what she needed from the medical supplies and cleaned his wounds before patching him up, so it wasn't like he was in any danger, but he was still very sore after the battle so she insisted on personally tending to him.

Neo and Roman were sitting in a corner, arguing over something. Out of all the people in the room, they were by far the ones least affected by the loss of life. Yang and Ruby assumed their time in the White Fang must have dulled their senses to death. They found it quite tragic actually, how people could just get used to having people die around them. If it weren't so horrible it might almost have been poetic.

Yang decided to approach them. She felt like she needed the change of pace that they would bring.

'No, that's all wrong,' Roman said in an annoyed voice, Neo pouting in response. Yang never noticed it before, but Neo could be surprisingly cute at times.

'Hey,' Yang interrupted, the two of them meeting her gaze.

'Hello, Yellow. What brings you to speak to me?'

Roman's refined tone of speech caught her off guard, as evidenced by her lack of response.

'Are you OK?'

She was even more surprised at the gentle words of Neo, a woman who didn't make the friendliest first impression from their meeting aboard the train.

'Yeah, I just... I needed someone to talk to. Someone new.'

'Come sit here,' Neo said, patting the seat next to her, to which Yang complied.

'Thanks. I just don't know what to do. I mean, we can't stay here for long. What if those Grimm come back? But... at the same time, we can't just abandon the injured. I don't know what I'm supposed to do. At this rate... at this rate everyone is going to die.'

Clenching her fist, they could see the pain in Yang's eyes. It was a serious matter after all, and both Neo and Roman could not offer her much in the way of support.

'You should have more faith in the people around you,' Roman gently told her, the first sign of kindness he had shown towards anyone that wasn't Neo.

'I have had faith in them. And look where it's got us. I've seen several of my friends die in front of me because of that faith. A lot of my friends have gone missing altogether because of that faith. How can I keep believing that they'll be fine after that?'

'Well,' Roman said, 'everyone has something they're good at. I'm good at escaping, Neo is good at defence. It's when people attempt things that go against their strengths that things go wrong. People die because of their own mistakes. Because they foolishly attempt something which they just aren't capable of.'

Yang felt anger fuming deep within her.

_The death of her friends was all their fault? How dare he!_

And then she relaxed. He was right, and she knew it.

Weiss, the light, dust based fighter went out on a mission that should have been attempted by someone with much more physical ability along with Ren, who was also quite a light fighter himself.

When the group separated rather than sticking together, Coco was killed.

Pyrrha ran up to someone who was impersonating Jaune without thinking of the possibilities. Every single thing Roman had said was correct. And that fact alone hit her harder than any other thought could. Yang couldn't take the thought that maybe they really could have been saved after all, and simply cried. Neo comforted her, Roman getting up to leave, an uncomfortable feeling welling in his chest. He wasn't great with mushy stuff, so he left her in Neo's capable hands.

* * *

A few days passed, and the injured had recovered from their wounds nicely. They hadn't had any repeat attacks, either, but the group still held a solemn, defeated air about them. Ruby wasn't sure what it was about it, but something irked her about the atmosphere. She understood all too well why they were distressed, but she couldn't stand the fact that everyone was just so willing to accept defeat like that. Standing up, she gripped Crescent Rose in her hands and fired a shot into the ceiling, surprising everyone in the room.

_This is it. I have to give them hope now, or else they'll mope like this for the rest of their lives._

'What is wrong with all of you? Are you all really so easily beaten? Is everyone in this room really so afraid that you're willing to just give up? Look at you all! Sitting around, only fearing for yourselves! Why won't any of you get a grip?!'

'Ruby,' Yang began, clutching her sister's arm as she spoke. 'That thing out there, that's an X-Class Grimm. How the hell are we supposed to fight something like that?'

Taking a moment to think and cool her head, Ruby answered her.

'I don't know. But there's one thing I do know. I know that sitting around here drowning in our sorrows _WILL NOT _keep us alive. If we just wait here feeling sorry for ourselves, they'll come back. When they do, they'll kill us all. We need to go out there and face our fears, because staying in this room will not set us free.'

'Ruby, just look-' Raven began, before Ruby angrily cut in. 'Shut up. Shut up, and _LISTEN._ When man first set foot on this world, when the Grimm started attacking our people, did humanity ever once give up? Did they falter in their cause? No. They carried on, marching onwards into the darkness looking for an answer, and in that darkness they found a light. They found dust, and with it they learnt to use and control aura. They drove back the Grimm. They built civilization. They saved a species. When the War of Remnant was fought shortly after the kingdoms were built, thousands, millions lost their lives. But did they give up? Did they cower in fear of those who were stronger? No. They stood up to them. They fought and they overcame, bringing with them a new age of tactical prowess and skill that was never before seen. When the Great War occurred, did people cry and worry about themselves? No. They cheered on their heroes who were out there fighting for their lives!'

Taking a breath, Ruby asked a question that shook the beliefs of everyone in that room.

'Tell me something. Do you want to live?'

A few murmurs here and there gave her a response, one that she was entirely unsatisfied with.

'I SAID, DO YOU WANT TO LIVE?'

More enthusiastic voices answered this time, but it still wasn't enough for Ruby.'

'_**DO YOU WANT TO LIVE, OR DON'T YOU?!**_'

The fiery response or roars that filled the rooms was good. She was proud of them for finally getting themselves out of their depression.

'WELL IF WE WANT TO LIVE, WE HAVE TO GO OUT THERE AND FIGHT FOR OUR LIVES!'

Again, exuberant cheers filled the room.

'ARE WE GOING TO TAKE DOWN THOSE FUCKING GRIMM, OR AREN'T WE?!'

'WE ARE!'

Smiling to herself, she felt true pride in the people that stood triumphantly in the room with her.

'THEN LET'S GET OUT THERE, AND KICK SOME SERIOUS GRIMM ASS!'

The thunder of 'yeahs' was more than enough to make Ruby believe that they were serious about it. Leaving their hiding place, the group marched towards the entrance of the city, the gates still broken after the battle earlier in the week. Exiting the city, their spirit was indomitable. It was like they were a completely different group of people, and had Ruby been looking on from outside, she would have been awestruck by their sheer tenacity and spirit. Storming through the forest, the few Grimm who were unlucky enough to face their wrath were torn to pieces. With each one, they gained momentum. They gained confidence. And most of all, they gained the will to fight back. Their spirits had been broken after the annihilation they suffered inside the city walls, after their one safe haven was proven to be useless. They had nothing left to defend, and that meant they had only one option – attack. As they exited the forest they came to a clearing, in the middle of which sat a gigantic castle, one which they were surprised they hadn't noticed during their time in the city. Without hesitation, they advanced onwards towards the gates. They had been built up, destroyed and rebuilt.

Now it was their turn. They were going to tear down the few things that the Grimm held precious. They were going to show them the terror and might of the human race.

* * *

Several Grimm noticed the cluster of people advancing on the settlement, and immediately went to inform their leader of their arrival.

Two of them burst through into the private chambers of Taiyang, greeted by the sight of Cinder and Taiyang in a rather compromising position.

'Mmm...' Cinder seductively moaned as Taiyang thrust into her, before turning to notice the two SS-Classes standing in his doorway.

'What is it?' Taiyang said in an annoyed tone, 'I was in the middle of something, if you don't mind.'

Even for the SS-Class Grimm, his piercing red eyes sent immense fear through them.

'My Lord, the humans from the settlement are advancing on our castle as we speak,' one of them finally managed to say.

'Oh,' Taiyang said, faking a tone of interest. 'Thank you for bringing this to me.'

Pleased with themselves, the two Grimm thanked him and turned to leave.

'Oh, and do forget about what you saw in here,' Taiyang told them threateningly. 'On second thought, I'll make you forget,' he told them, shooting bolts of fire straight through both of their heads.

'Idiots,' he mumbled to himself mockingly as he returned his lips to Cinders breasts, the moans of pleasure she was eliciting filling the room as the two of them reached their simultaneous crescendo.

'There's always so much,' Cinder said in a sultry, pleasant voice as she slowly slid one of her fingers inside herself, retrieving Taiyang's semen as she seductively swallowed it down.

'So, what are we going to do about the intruders?' she asked, clothing herself in her trademark red dress.

Taiyang smiled in response.

'Let them come. I want to see how many of them make it here.'

'I'll make sure to obstruct them as best I can then,' Cinder replied confidently. 'If I wait here with you I won't get to have any fun of my own.'

Taiyang respected the mischievous glint in her eye, and nodded his head in response.

'Very well. I'm sure you'll do me proud.'

* * *

Meanwhile on the outside, the group had eliminated every single Grimm that had dared cross their path, their steadfast determination pushing them forward until they reached their goal.

'This is it,' Ruby said as she turned to the others. 'Taiyang and Cinder must be inside here,' she pointed out. 'If not, we destroy the place anyway seeing as it's quite a nice Grimm hideout.

They had reached the apex of their journey.

They knew their task would be difficult, but if they had any idea what was awaiting them they would most definitely have turned back.


	25. The Decision That Could Not Be Undone

Entering the castle grounds, they were met with a large group of Grimm, all of which looked extremely strong. Among them were mostly S-Class, with the occasional SS-Class here and there.

'You kids go on ahead,' the familiar suave voice of Roman called to them. 'Me, Neo and some others will keep this bunch busy.'

Taking a handful of the soldiers who had survived the initial assault on the city, he stayed in the grounds to make sure the Grimm couldn't enter the castle through the front at least. That way if things went horribly wrong they at least had an escape route. Upon entering the castle, Fox stopped walking.

'I'm going to stay behind with them,' he told Ruby. 'They'll need as much help as they can get against this many strong Grimm.'

'Alright,' she replied softly, the worry in her voice making no attempt to hide, 'just make sure you come back alive.'

Moving onwards, Ruby, Yang and Raven ventured deeper into the castle. The corridors seemed to go on forever, and they quickly found they were lost. Entering room after room, they found nothing. Not even any Grimm had graced their presence. It was almost like... this attack had been foreseen before even they knew about it. Combined with the fact that there wasn't a repeat attack... Ruby realised immediately with a sick feeling in her stomach.

'This is a trap.'

'What do you mean?' Raven asked, confused at Ruby's sudden declaration. 'How do you know this is a trap?'

'Think about it. We were attacked, and then left completely alone. _Almost like we were provoked to retaliate. _Then, when we do strike back, all the most powerful Grimm are in the castle grounds, and the castle itself is completely empty? Doesn't that strike you as being a bit strange?'

Thinking on her words, Yang and Raven also realised just why she had come to that conclusion.

Rushing back to the door they had entered the corridor through, they found that it was locked. Raven attempted to break it down with her weapon, as well as Ruby and Yang, but it was no use. Their opponents had waited for them to venture deep into the castle, knowing they wouldn't realise what was going on until it was too late.

* * *

'Fortifying all the doors with Aura was a brilliant idea,' Taiyang said to Cinder as they strolled through the castle. 'They'll be stuck inside that corridor for hours at this rate.'

_And to those intruders who dare defile my grounds, you'll all soon learn what happens when you anger an X-Class._

* * *

Roman and the others were struggling somewhat with the volume of Grimm that they were faced with. They knew they had promised the others that they would be fine, but saying it and actually accomplishing it were two different matters entirely.

Roman fired several blasts of his cane, a few of them hitting Grimm that were inches away from claiming another life.

_God damn it... why did I have to put on a show of bravado? Getting out of this one alive is going to be a task and a half..._

Looking to Neo, she seemed to be having a blast, slicing up Grimm after Grimm as she gracefully dashed around the grounds. Fox, on the other hand, was having trouble with his Grimm. Fighting an SS-Class Ursa by himself, he found himself outmatched by its power. The fact it was channelling aura into its punches as well as defending with it made it a very tough opponent to take down. Launching another fist into the ground, rupturing the earth with the force of the impact, Fox just barely managed to dodge in time. A second later and he would have been ground into dust.

_Why now, of all times? Why does my wound have to hold me back now?_

He dodged as many as he could, some of the other soldiers coming to his aid as he retreated. Their attacks did nothing to harm the Ursa, however, serving only to annoy it further instead. Swinging one of its paws about, it caught two of them, shattering their skulls immediately. The third ran for dear life, firing shots at other Grimm as he ran before being pounced on by a Beowolf.

Neo saw the Ursa effortlessly defeating the soldiers, and took it upon herself as a challenge. Dashing towards it, she used her semblance to confuse the beast before launching a series of lunges and retreats at the creature, her aura-infused attacks being strong enough to break through the creature's hefty defence.

'You aren't bad,' the Ursa complimented in a distorted, raspy voice. Neo simply smiled at it, before lunging in once more, blocking attacks with her umbrella. Roman saw his chance, and quickly ran up to it, placing his cane point blank at the back of the creatures head and firing. As the creatures head exploded, shards of its Grimm mask were launched every which way. Fox silently thanked her for her help, before taking a time out at the castle entrance.

* * *

'If you aren't finished within half an hour, I'll have to come deal with them myself,' Taiyang playfully teased, before turning around and heading towards his chambers again. 'That should give you enough time to play.'

Cinder smiled and bowed at his generosity. She knew how much he wanted to kill every last person in the courtyard, yet he allowed her the pleasure of doing it, and even gave her time to toy with her victims while she did. Walking slowly towards the front entrance, her hips swaying ever so slightly as she did, she made patterns of fire with her hands, a small string of embers weaving in and out of her fingers. Taiyang had taught her such precise aura control that she could virtually do anything with it, as long as she had enough aura to create it.

Opening the door, she looked down at her feet to see the tanned young man sat on the first step. Fox stared back at her, her eyes and his meeting for a moment.

'Oh shit.'

That was all Fox could say before he was enveloped by flames, both inside and out. Within seconds, the once-strong fighter had been reduced to a charred mess.

'This is going to be a fun thirty minutes,' she said to herself as she stepped outside onto the grass, a disapproving look on her face as she saw the scarlet ground upon which she stood. Stepping out without hesitation, she scorched several of the soldiers that were with Roman and Neo, many of them firing back in a mixture of panic and anger. Cinder blocked the bullets with ease, a few more soldiers falling prey to Grimm after having turned their backs on the enemies right in front of them.

'Fall back,' she commanded to the Grimm that remained in the area. 'These fools are mine.'

Obediently backing off, they all disappeared into the castle, leaving Cinder to face Roman, Neo and the few soldiers that were left. She turned towards the soldiers first, firing several fireballs at them which were extremely hard to avoid. It took her all of fifteen seconds to incinerate the men who had once stood there, before turning her gaze to Roman and Neo, both of whom were already upon her. She gracefully dodged all of Neo's slashes and stabs as well as Roman's cane, the two of them in utter shock at how skilled she was. Firing another stream of fire at them, Neo blocked it with her umbrella whilst Roman fired a shot from his cane at her.

'This is going to be a long day, Neo,' Roman commented as the three of them squared off. As they stood there, they all knew that at least one of them would perish in their fight.

* * *

'God _DAMN IT!'_

Yang's cries of frustration and attempts to break down the door were met with failure.

'The doors are locked and won't break, we can't get through the window or walls either...' Raven added, unsure of what to do next.

'There must be a way out of here. There has to be _something,' _Ruby proposed, trying to remain optimistic, but even she knew that the odds of there being another way out that the owner of the castle had overlooked were extremely slim.

That was until a familiar thumping sound echoed through the halls, the sounds of destruction filling the castle. When that same sound came crashing through the door into the corridor they were stood, they were met with an almost unrecognizable sight. The once cheery girl they knew now had long, flowing ginger hair, but what worried them the most was the expression of fury etched onto her face.

'Nora...?'

It was the only thing Ruby could squeeze from her lips at the distressing sight in front of her. It was obvious that the girl in front of her had been through a lot. She didn't even say anything to them before making her way to a different room and smashing her way through. Exiting the corridor after her, Raven turned to Ruby and Yang.

'I'm going to go back to the entrance to make sure they're alright over there. You guys go stop her doing anything stupid. I'm counting on you. Oh, and don't die.'

After thanking her, Ruby and Yang turned their attention towards Nora.

'Nora, wait!'

Ignoring Yang's shouts, she pounded through room after room, the clatter of footsteps behind her always getting closer and closer. But that wasn't what Nora had come here for.

'WHERE ARE YOU!? COME OUT HERE YOU SON OF A BITCH!'

Her rage-infested screams were nothing like the girl they had once known. Pushed past her breaking point and forced to carry on, she was a shell of the person she once was, with only the goal of slaughtering Grimm pushing her forward.

'Now, now, there's no need to make such a racket,' Taiyang said, entering the room through the opposite door.

Nora didn't waste a second in launching an attack at him, swinging her hammer desperately at his head, but Taiyang easily dodged all of her attacks.

'Far too slow,' he said as he punched her in her stomach, catapulting her across the room with power that rivalled the punches Granberia had given to Qrow and Summer. Nora didn't let her injury stop her, however, and changed Magnhild to its grenade launcher form, firing shot after shot, which Taiyang dodged with ease as he advanced on her. Reaching her location, she kept pulling the trigger, only to be met with an endless series of clicks.

Empty.

Nora had finally calmed down slightly upon realising the severity of her situation, even reverting to her old self for a short moment. As Taiyang raised his fist whilst covering it with fire, he was about to finish her off.

And he would have, if it weren't for the red blur that rocketed through the doorway, catching him off guard and slamming him backwards with the tip of her scythe.

'Looks like we made it here in time,' Yang panted as she walked through the door to where her sister and Nora were. She took a look around the room, and noticed it appeared to be some kind of banquet hall.

'So, my daughter brought her friend to the buffet, did she?' Taiyang mockingly stated, glaring at the two of them.

'Daughter...?' Ruby said, turning to Yang for an explanation.

Looking downwards, she replied.

'He's my father,' she said, a tinge of disappointment in her voice.

'Come now, you'll hurt my feelings if you speak with that tone of voice,' Taiyang informed Yang, pretending to look upset.

'This isn't gonna be easy, Ruby. Stay alert, and be very careful.'

'Yeah,' the redhead replied, 'I know.'

* * *

Meanwhile outside, Cinder was putting on a rather dominating display, Neo and Roman both being powerless before her.

'What's wrong? What happened to that sassy attitude of yours, Roman?'

He had received several burns to his hands and feet, rendered completely immobile by the pain. It was only thanks to Neo's presence that he wasn't a pile of ashes already, but she was showing signs of wear. Cinder fired several blasts of fire at the girl, Neo still managing to block or avoid them.

All but one, that is.

One single blast of flame hit her, and that was all Cinder needed. Igniting the skin on her back as she fell, the screams that came from the short lady actually drew sadness and anger out of Roman.

'Stop! I'm the one you want, aren't I? So leave her alone!'

Cinder grew hostile at being told what to do by someone other than Taiyang, and she set her sights on Roman.

As she prepared a fireball the size of which shocked him even now, she saw out of the corner of her eye a familiar purple aura pulse, one which she couldn't avoid. As it collided with her, it launched her off her feet, sending her sprawled out onto the grass. Looking back towards the entrance, she was met with a person who was starting to become a major thorn in her side.

'Hello, Cinder,' Raven's seething voice called from the steps.

Cinder lost all composure in that instant.

'YOU BITCH! WHY CAN'T YOU JUST STAY OUT OF MY WAY?!'

Changing her sword to green, Raven healed both Roman and Neo, the burns disappearing and all injuries they had previously accumulated vanishing with them.

'Because I'm the one who's going to kill you. I can't stay out of your way for that, now can I?'

Changing her sword to gold, she anticipated the attacks that Cinder would try and strike her with, effortlessly absorbing them all into the blade. As Neo and Roman got up to help, a chilling voice made them rethink their choice.

'She's mine. Touch her, and you die.'

Raven's piercing eyes were fuelled by a rage strong enough to strike fear into the both of them, and Roman and Neo wisely backed off. This was Raven's fight, and she was not going to allow interferences. She had sent Yang and Ruby to go deal with Taiyang, so they would keep him occupied while she dealt with the woman who stood before her.

The tension in the atmosphere was almost palpable. Swing after swing, fireball after fireball. Their battle raged on, neither having the clear advantage but neither seeming to grow tired either. With no end in sight, they furiously went at each other with the desire to kill driving them.

* * *

'What the hell is he?' Ruby asked, her body growing weary from using her semblance so much. The man in front of her was able to keep up with and even _surpass _her inhuman speed, to the point that Ruby didn't know what to do. Her one unbeatable ability had been surpassed by an enemy that they couldn't beat. Nora attempted to slam her hammer into him once more, being swatted away as though it was nothing.

'This really is getting tiresome.'

Taiyang took a look at the clock. Twenty eight minutes had passed since he had spoken with Cinder.

_I suppose I should deal with these and then go see what's keeping her_, he thought to himself. However, in that one instant that he looked away from the battle, Yang saw her opportunity, throwing herself towards him. Without time to react, Taiyang was forced to take the hit, Ember Celica firing shells directly into his skull.

As his body dropped to one side, Yang breathed a sigh of relief. Looking at her sister across the room, she shouted across to her;

'I really thought we were done for!'

The pleasant smile that crossed both Ruby and Yang's faces was soon wiped off, as Taiyang stood up, good as new.

'What...?'

'Did you really think a simple hit like that would be enough to kill me? You really arenaïve, child.'

As he slammed her into the wall behind him, Yang recoiling in pain before looking up to see a bolt of fire piercing Nora's skull, her body slipping lifelessly to the floor. Ruby reacted faster, but was still scorched by the fire, unable to move due to the pain.

'I'll deal with you when I get back. For now, you two can sit there in pain. When I return, we're going to have a nice long talk about why you don't attack an X-Class.'

With those threatening words, he began to walk away.

_Damn it! I can't just let him leave! But how… how can I beat him?_

A sudden, sickening thought ran through her head.

_Looks like I don't have a choice._

_Yeah, I'm gonna have to do that._

Sitting there, she resigned her body.

_You can take over for a while. You had better be worth what I'm giving up for this, _Yang thought to herself.

Still conscious for the changes, she felt them happening. The strange, bone-like feeling that covered the right side of her face. The claws that split through her nails. But she also felt the power resonating through her core. The blinding speed that surprised herself and even Taiyang, as her fist slammed into his face, sending him rocketing into the wall to the side.

_Yes._

_That's right._

_I am a Grimm human, and I should use that power to destroy him._


	26. The Grimm Truth

Ruby stared on in shock, unable to move as her sister hit Taiyang with incredible force. Noticing the mask that covered the left side of her face, she realised that something must have happened to her sister, and the only time that could have been possible was when she had been held captive by the White Fang before they crossed over the ocean.

_So this… what happened to her… is my fault?_

Ruby couldn't help but think that. If they hadn't been captured, Yang would not have endured whatever ordeal she went through.

Recovering from the strike, Taiyang wiped his lip, bleeding slightly from the force. Looking at Yang and noticing her mask, he simply said;

'I'm proud of you.'

'What?'

'You've become such a beautiful creature,' he complimented, though Yang wasn't sure it was one she wanted. Especially coming from him.

'You've become a hybrid being, just like myself.'

Cracking a nightmarish smile, he continued with a phrase that sent shivers up Yang's spine.

'I can finally go all out against a worthy opponent. Prepare to see the true power of the Phoenix Grimm.'

* * *

Outside, Raven and Cinder's battle had not halted for even a second. The relentless flurry of strikes from Raven, met with an endless series of dodges and counterattacks by Cinder, Neo and Roman could do naught but watch as their duel raged on. Eventually, they both began to tire and Cinder landed several bursts of fire on Raven, the latter battling through the searing pain that boiled her skin. Swinging her golden blade, she managed to just barely cut into Cinder's dress, releasing all the built up power that had been stored by absorbing Cinder's attacks, a power that practically exploded on contact, sending ripples of destruction shredding through the ground in front of her. Changing her blade to purple, she fired several waves of aura at Cinder, forcing the woman to retreat lest she wish to take severe damage from her attacks. This gave time for Raven to change her sword back to green and heal her wounds, while Cinder looked on in annoyance.

'You always were a nuisance to kill,' Cinder added hatefully. 'I should have finished you back at the city. I won't make that mistake a second time,' she threatened.

'Don't worry,' Raven replied, the malice in her voice making no attempt to hide, 'you won't have to. Because you'll be dead before you can get the chance to kill me.'

Changing her blade to black, Raven slowly strolled towards Cinder, the woman taking equal steps back.

'You know what my swords Eclipse form does, right?'

'The black blade? Yes, it ruptures whatever it comes into contact with when you use your aura.'

'Exactly.' Taking careful steps, she walked ninety degrees around Cinder, the fiery woman changing the direction of her retreat to compensate. 'I'm going to drive this blade into your chest. Then you'll feel the true power of Eclipse.'

'Good luck hitting me. In case you didn't notice, you've been struggling to land even a single attack, whereas I've hit you several times.'

'I don't need luck. I've already won.'

Before she had time to realise what Raven meant, Cinder had already fallen into the trap. She felt her foot firmly lodged in something, and looking down saw that she had stepped into a crack of split earth.

_Her golden blade… she planned this all along?!_

By the time she had managed to retract her foot, Raven's sword was already inches away from her chest.

_I'm too late!_

In a last, desperate attempt, she shot out a ball of fire from her hands, headed straight for… Roman?

The two had been closely watching the fight, but due to the fact they weren't expecting to be dragged into the fight they had let their guard down. On top of that, the fireball Cinder had let loose was much faster than her previous attacks. Neo had no time to guard it, and Roman had no time to dodge, taking the blaze square in the chest.

Eclipse pierced Cinder's flesh a moment later.

_At least I killed one of them. Taiyang… I'm sorry, but you're on your own from here on out._

'Neo,' Roman spluttered, his vision quickly fading. 'Neo… I'm sorry, but you'll have to do without me for a while. Go with them. Live, Neo.'

By the time Raven reached his body he was already long dead, the fire completely scorching his insides. A rare display of emotion from Neo saw tears forming in her eyes. Her best friend and partner was dead. The one person who truly understood her was gone forever. It took a moment for that to sink in, but when it did Neo broke down in tears. Placing an arm around her shoulder, all Raven could offer was a simple 'I'm sorry.'

* * *

'Why won't you just _DIE?_'

Yang couldn't contain her frustration. She had knocked him down so many times, and he should have been killed at least 10 times. But he kept getting back up, every single time.

'You weren't paying any attention, were you? I told you what I am. I'm a Phoenix Grimm. That _is _my semblance, Yang. When I die, I am resurrected by using up some of my aura.'

Yang shot him a look of displeasure upon hearing this.

_How many times will I have to drop him before he stays down? I'm not sure how much longer I can handle his attacks and stay in control of my Grimm side together…_

'Tell me Yang,' he started again, 'do you know why we Grimm hunt and eat humans?'

This was unexpected. She had heard the answer to this question so many times at Beacon however that she was confident in her answer.

'For fun,' she replied, her hands clenching at the thought.

'Incorrect.'

_What? If not for fun, then why…? The Grimm had been proven to be capable of survival without food, so if they didn't hunt for fun… what did they do it for?_

'We hunt because we must.'

'That's a lie,' Yang immediately retorted. 'I know for a fact Grimm don't need to eat.'

'In a sense, you're right. Grimm don't need to eat. Not to survive, at least. But we still get hungry, and unlike others, our hunger can never kill us. Tell me, do you understand what it feels like to have an endlessly worsening hunger gnawing at you? Do you know what it's like to starve, and to have that feeling eternally growing stronger and stronger? It's enough to drive a person mad. The Grimm don't eat to survive. We eat to stay sane.'

Yang couldn't believe it. All this time… all this time they had believed the Grimm to be cruel, heartless monsters, capable only of causing suffering and pain… and all this time, they only did what they did to stop themselves from going insane... it was a lot to take in for the young Huntress.

'You know, if I had known that when I became a Grimm I would suffer through all of this, then I wouldn't have done it.'

'Why did you turn yourself into a Grimm, dad? Why?'

Looking up at her, Taiyang continued speaking.

'I was a fool… after I lost your mother, I blamed myself. When she died… when she was killed by that X-Class, moments after reporting its existence… I asked myself the most dangerous question. I asked myself; What if? What if I was there? Could I have saved her? It was a futile question. And in my naivety, I thought that if I could gain more power that I could protect everyone else.'

For the first time in her life, Yang saw a Grimm cry.

_But… Grimm don't have emotions._

_Which means... he's still human. At least a little bit.  
_

_Maybe I can save him._

_My dad is still in there! I have to save him somehow..._

'When it finally came to using that power, I didn't know what repercussions it would have. I felt the Grimm inside me taking over, and I knew at that moment. I knew how stupid I had been. The Grimm took total control, and slaughtered everything in sight. My friends, my enemies… nothing but a pile of corpses was left afterwards. I managed to take control back, and I saw with my own eyes just what it had done. What _I _had done. And so, I left. I left to save everyone else. In the end, my desire to protect destroyed everything I held dear, all because I was stupid.'

Then, with a piercing yet wistful stare, the words he said to Yang she almost couldn't comprehend.

'Kill me, Yang.'

Tears welling in her eyes, she didn't know how to respond. Yes, he was a Grimm, but he was still her father. He had shown that there was still a part of him inside that was still human, and while he was still conscious of himself he wanted his own daughter to put a stop to his tyrannical reign.

'That's not fair,' Yang said, her words distorting as she sobbed. 'You're still my father! How can I kill you…?'

'Yang, please. I know it's hard, but… I would much rather die while I am still in control. Believe me, it's extremely hard to stay in possession of myself right now. I feel like it could come back at any second. Please, do this for me, Princess.'

_Princess…?_

_That old pet name he gave me…?_

_He… he remembered after all this time…?_

Walking slowly towards him, her hands still trembling, she stood toe to toe with him, their tear-stained eyes granting each other one last fleeting gaze as he cupped her face with his hands.

'You're so beautiful. I'm proud to call you my daughter, Yang Xiao Long. Now, do it. I'm ready.'

Closing his eyes, he awaited her fist, although it never came.

Opening them again, she had tightened her grip, but she couldn't force herself to end his life.

'So, the harlot couldn't bring herself to harm her dear father, could she?'

Looking back at him, the evil smile had returned to his face. Yang realised it had to be now, so she did it.

_I'm sorry, dad._

The sickening crack reverberated through the room as her fist made contact, shotgun shells splaying into his head. As he was sent sprawling across the room she quickly advanced on him, clambering over him and slamming her fist into his head, all while letting her tears stain the floor. She punched him. Ten times. A hundred times. A thousand. She didn't know. She just kept up the relentless assault, until finally started convulsing in pain, his body panicking as it sensed the strange phenomenon of death swiftly approaching. As his heart began to beat its final few beats, Yang broke down in tears over his body. And although faint, she definitely heard it.

_Thank you. And… I hope you never have to follow my path._

Yang's eyes shot open in surprise as she saw the loving, peaceful smile of a man who could finally rest in front of her. Realisation dawned on her, Yang understanding exactly what had happened.

_The Grimm never took control back._

_He said that… to make me scared._

_To make me fight back._

_He knew that was the only way I was going to kill him… so he did the only thing he could._

_He died as my father._

The agonizing wails that she emitted as salty tears flooded from her eyes ricocheted off the walls. It was a sound of pure emotional pain, one that would never fade.

* * *

Raven and Neo arrived in the room minutes later, seeing the two sisters, one an emotional wreck, the other a burn victim. Treating Ruby with her sword, she quickly went over to Yang, whose Grimm features had now faded, both to comfort her and check for injuries. She was bruised slightly, and Raven offered her help but she refused. Those bruises were the last physical memories she had of her father, and she intended to keep them as long as she could. After their ordeal was through, they carried Nora's body out of the castle and into the courtyard, the rest of the bodies all arranged in an orderly fashion. They decided to burn the bodies of the dead. They would waste too much time giving them a formal burial, and time was not something they had in abundance anymore.

'We're the only ones left,' Raven solemnly stated. 'Just us four.'

'Not even Fox or Roman made it…?'

That fact seemed to hit Ruby extremely hard. Roman always struck her as the kind of man who could escape anything, and Fox had always been a strong fighter.

'What about Velvet? We still don't know where she is,' Ruby added hopefully.

Raven felt as though daggers had pierced her heart. Adam had found her body the previous day. What was left of it, at least. The DNA that was left on her bones corresponded perfectly with the DNA they had of her from her time at Beacon, but Raven hadn't plucked up the courage to tell them, especially after seeing the state of them inside that room.

'I think it's safe to assume she didn't make it,' she told them, choosing to hide the truth rather than tell them.

_It's better this way. They don't need to know that another person is dead._

'Come on, let's go.'

'Go where?' Yang asked, her voice full of sadness. 'Where do we have left?'

'The north,' Raven answered her. 'There's a hidden facility in the Snowpeak Valley. That's where Adam is stationed. He's been making regular trips down here to make sure everything was running smoothly. As you can imagine, those trips won't be happening anymore. The Snowpeak Valley is the last place I know of that is truly safe. There's practically an entire army there, along with some huge names in the world of Hunters, Ozpin and Goodwitch among them. It's our best shot now.'

'Alright,' Ruby said quietly. 'Let's go then.'

The four women set out on their next journey, this time heading into the frozen midst of the Snowpeak Valley. And on their way, Yang couldn't help but think.

_Maybe it's better if I disappear on the way._

_I'm going to end up like my father one day, unable to remain in control of the Grimm inside me. Even now I can feel it trying to take over, and it's only going to get stronger as time goes by._

Recalling Taiyang's words, she told herself;

_I guess I have to follow your path, dad. I either leave them or risk all of their lives. I've been selfish enough in my life. Maybe it's time I start thinking of others for a change._


	27. Broken

A few days had passed since the group fought Taiyang and his Grimm, and they had begun their journey through the frostbitten mountains to the north, their destination lying in wait on the other side. Things did not go as smoothly as they had hoped, however, as during their time heading through the mountain pass the snow began to fall. It was light at first, but it gradually worsened over time until they were forced to take refuge inside a cave opening lest they wished to be buried under the blizzard that viciously crashed down. Luckily enough, Raven was able to use her portals to transport herself to and from the northern facility, bringing with her a large heater, supplies of food and blankets. Even in the dank, dark cave they still managed to wait somewhat comfortably for the storm to pass. It showed no signs of letting up, however, and a week had passed before they knew it.

'Geez, will this blizzard ever end?'

Yang's words were not out of frustration – they were out of fear. Fear of what was told to her at the White Fang facility all those months ago.

_You will have complete and total control over the Grimm inside you until you yourself choose to rely on its power._

That meant that the second she had allowed the Grimm inside to come out during her fight with Taiyang it essentially turned her into a ticking time bomb. One day she would wake up, completely unable to control her inner Grimm. When that day came, she might end up killing her very own sister. That thought alone was enough to convince her to leave the first chance she got. Even if she had to spend the rest of her life in eternal agony, she refused to let the Grimm have its way.

'Normally blizzards only last a few days at most,' Raven informed them. 'It shouldn't be too long before it's over.'

Noticing Yang's discomfort, she leaned over to talk to her.

'You OK?'

Yang's jerky, almost fearful response confirmed Raven's suspicions that something was most definitely bothering her.

'What is it,' she whispered, making sure Ruby and Neo didn't hear, 'come on, you can tell me.'

'I can't tell you,' Yang answered, her voice wavering as she spoke. 'It's something I have to deal with by myself. I'll be fine, just give me a day or two and I'll be back to my old self.'

Realising she wasn't going to get any more information out of her, Raven stopped pressing her.

'Fine, but if you ever need someone to talk to we're here, alright?'

Yang smiled at the notion, laying down on her blanket as she tried to sleep. Outside the cave the snow raged, but the group managed to get to sleep despite it. When morning came, the snow had stopped and begun to melt like Raven predicted. However, along with the disappearance of the snow came the disappearance of a certain blonde Huntress.

'Yang…?'

Ruby nervously called out into the mountains, her echoing voice only serving to confirm a horrifying suspicion.

Her sister was gone.

During the night, Yang must have forced her way through the snow and left. Ruby couldn't imagine how Yang must have been feeling when she made that decision, or what kind of emotional pain must be eating at her for having done so.

'Yang? Yang! YANG!'

Ruby continued screaming her sisters name, refusing to accept that she would just leave. They had survived all this time, they had come all this way only to be torn apart by her very own sister? Ruby didn't want to believe it.

'Shh,' Raven cooed, taking Ruby in her arms. 'Ruby, listen to me.'

Looking straight in her eyes, Raven told her a sentence that almost drove the young girl to hate her.

'She's gone, Ruby. We have to keep going.'

'NO! I'm going to find my sister! I have to! I'M NOT LEAVING HER!'

In between sobs, Ruby managed to blurt out painful screams of emotion, Raven's attempts at trying to calm her doing little to calm her, Neo deciding to try and help the situation.

'Ruby, it's pointless to go blindly searching for her in the mountains, and besides, we have no idea which way she went.'

'I DON'T CARE! She's my sister… she's all I have left!'

'That isn't true and you know it Ruby,' Raven sternly said, evidently having taken offense to Ruby's last statement. 'You have me and Neo here for you, and Ozpin and Glynda are waiting in the Snowpeak Valley. We don't even know if Yang is still alive! She could be dead-'

SLAP.

Ruby's trembling palm left a stinging red mark on Raven's cheek. How could Raven just give up so easily?

'She is _NOT _dead! Don't you dare say that! And besides, how the hell would you know how I feel anyway?! It's not like you-'

'BECAUSE I'M HER SISTER TOO! THAT'S MY TWIN SISTER THAT DISAPPEARED OVERNIGHT! YOU DON'T THINK IT FUCKING HURTS FOR ME?! WELL GUESS WHAT? IT HURTS. I FEEL LIKE SOMEONE JUST RIPPED MY HEART OUT AND BEAT ME HALF TO DEATH WITH IT!'

For the first time, Ruby had seen Raven's tears of agony. Those tears which she hid so well behind her façade had finally come bursting through the dam, and Ruby was seeing firsthand the effects of what she'd seen combined with the words she had said.

'I'm sorry, I…' Ruby tried to apologize, before she was interrupted by Raven again.

'No, don't even bother. You've made it pretty clear how you feel about me and Neo. You said it yourself, didn't you?'

Ruby's heart felt like it would stop beating when Raven quoted her own words back to her.

'_Yang is all you have left. _I'd say you made it pretty clear how you felt towards us with that.'

'Look, I'm sorry… I didn't mean…'

'I know what you meant. I'm done helping you, Ruby. You can go search for Yang if you want. Go on, go and pointlessly search the mountains for her by yourself until you freeze to death. These mountains hit -20 °C sometimes. Go on, search for her to your heart's content. I'm through helping you.'

Before Ruby could say another word, Raven opened one of her portals and stepped through it, and like that she was gone.

Ruby dropped to her knees at the realisation of what her words had caused.

_I… I drove her away. All because I was selfish._

Unsure of what to do, her eyes welled with tears as she turned to look up at Neo.

But she was not there. Ruby was alone. She had pushed everyone away, all because of her own selfishness.

With no other goal in mind she began aimlessly wandering, hoping to find Yang somewhere among the mountains, even though she knew that the odds were very heavily stacked against her.

_What now…? What do I do now…?_

* * *

Arriving at the facility, Raven collapsed to her knees in tears, a man with greying hair walking over to her to comfort her.

'What happened, Raven?' his gruff voice causing her to raise her head.

'I… I'm sorry. I said I'd bring them back, but I just abandoned them out there…'

'There, there, it's OK. I'm sure you had your reasons.'

Shrugging him off, Raven got up to leave.

'Sorry, I… don't really feeling like talking today. I just need some time alone.'

Saying no more, the two parted ways. As Raven walked back to her room, she was met with a familiar voice, one she had heard several times already yet still made her uncomfortable to hear.

'What did she say to you?'

'Ozpin… how did you…?'

'Come now, I was the headmaster of Beacon for a time. You don't lead an entire school of Hunters and Huntresses if you can't read people like I can. Besides, Ruby was always one to wear her heart on her sleeve. She's honest. Maybe a little _too _honest sometimes, but she doesn't mean anything bad by what she says.'

'She didn't care about others. All she wanted was to sate her own feelings, to make herself happy. Yang left us, and she couldn't handle the fact that we weren't going to find her.'

Pausing for a second, Ozpin's next words gave Raven some food for thought.

'In the end, don't all humans do things to satisfy their own desires? Tell me, why did her words upset you? She was just a girl who wanted to find her sister. While it is true that that girl is your sister also, Ruby is far less accustomed to this sort of lifestyle than you are. She wasn't thinking of anyone but the person she had lost, and that's what caused you so much distress. But doesn't that distress stem from a desire to feel wanted? Weren't you upset because you wanted her to care about you?'

She didn't know what it was with Ozpin, but he somehow always managed to make her see things from a different light. Leaving her with that, Raven spent the rest of the night in her room thinking over his words.

_Is that really true? Was I just angry because I wanted to feel like they needed me? Was it all just because of my own selfish thoughts that I snapped at her?_

With those thoughts lingering in her head, she felt pangs of guilt gnawing away at her.

_And I left them out there. Two young girls, with no food, water or warmth. I left them to die. What have I done…?_

* * *

Neo continued her walk through the mountains, the frost beginning to take its toll on her health as her joints began to numb. She knew that she would have to find warmth or at least somewhere that wasn't so cold very soon or she would freeze to death. Eventually, after another hour of walking, she came across a group of Grimm that had abnormally thick coats compared to the ones in the south. With no other choice, she systematically killed them all before skinning one of them, retreating into a nearby crevice after she was finished. The pelt didn't help much against the bitter temperature, but it was enough to keep her from freezing. Managing to find some solace in sleep she peacefully dozed off, hoping to find the facility that Raven mentioned in the morning.

* * *

_I'm sorry, Ruby._

_I had to leave._

_I couldn't take the risk of losing control of my Grimm side and killing you._

_It's for the best._

_Just… make sure you survive, OK sis?_

Wiping tears from her eyes, she felt the dull, thumping feeling of her headache growing ever stronger.

It was a strange feeling.

And she knew.

She knew that it would only get worse and worse.

It would continue to grow worse, the destined day drawing ever closer.

It was a feeling she would never forget.


	28. All in the Head

The next day, Raven woke with a sick feeling in her stomach. She wasn't sure whether it was genuine illness or just the guilt eating at her, but she took some medicine for it anyway, hoping it would help. However, nothing she did could erase the terrible feeling she had. It drove her mad, until finally she'd had enough. Getting out of bed, she walked around the monotonous series of hallways, finally finding the person she was searching for.

The man she had seen when she arrived at the facility the previous day was sat at his desk, seemingly reading something. Noticing Raven walking towards him, he looked up, his pleasant face happy to see that she was feeling at least a little bit better than yesterday.

'Hello, Raven. What is it?'

'I want to take some men out and go search the mountains.'

Her response commanded a look of shock from the man.

'Raven, you know as well as I do that giving away men isn't something we can afford to do. Do you realise how many people we've lost to patrols already? We can't afford the extra casualties.'

'You'll have Ozpin and Glynda here to protect this place, Gray. Please, just for one day.'

'And if Yuki sends more Grimm over here? What will we do if we don't have enough people to fend them off? We barely scraped through the previous attacks with low casualties, so sending men out there is absolutely out of the question.'

Looking disheartened, she realised it wasn't an argument she was going to win.

'Fine, I'll take Adam and search myself then.'

'Raven, that's stupid! Those mountains cover more area than Vacuo! How low do you think the odds are of finding them out there, in the snow no less?'

'I don't care. What I did yesterday was wrong. I abandoned two people who needed my help, and if I cause their deaths I'll never forgive myself. They're innocent, Gray. I'm not just going to let them freeze out there.'

Letting out a dissatisfied grunt, he reluctantly spoke again.

'Fine. Take the four best men with you. But that's all, OK? No more than that.'

Four was more than enough. That would cut down the time they'd need to search by a colossal amount, Raven thanking him gratefully as she left. Going to inform Adam and gather the soldiers, she hoped, prayed that they were still alive out there.

* * *

Yang had woken that morning with a sharp pain plaguing her once again. It was getting gradually worse, and she knew she was slowly losing to the Grimm within her. She was still able to contain it fully, but she would occasionally have animalistic urges, things which definitely did not come from Yang herself. Stumbling onward, the thumping headache never once giving her any respite, she found herself coming across a meadow, reminiscent of the one they had come across right after the group met up with Ren and Nora.

_This is familiar…_

_Back when we were all still together…_

_I wish we could go back to those times…_

_I wish we could just be together again…_

_Huh…? That's strange… why do I feel drowsy…?_

Slumping against a tree, the sunlight gave her a tranquil, almost serene feeling. If it weren't for the fact that she knew she was fighting a losing battle she may have been able to convince herself, even if just for a moment, that everything was fine. She was so lost in her fantasies that she hadn't even realised that she'd been crying the whole time.

_Huh…? When did I start crying?_

She wiped her tears, but they continued to flow regardless. Submitting to defeat, she leant back against the tree, her aching joints appreciating even the texture of the rigid wood.

_I don't want to become a Grimm…_

_Please, somebody… help…_

Then her thoughts drifted to her sister.

_Ruby... are you doing OK? I hope you and Raven aren't taking my disappearance too hard. I'm sorry, but I'm sure you'll understand why I left, right? I hope you find that facility… I know they'll take good care of you._

_Yeah._

_They'll take care of you in my place._

_I'm sorry I wasn't strong enough to protect you._

_In the end I still ended up hurting you, didn't I?_

_You're better off without me now. I'd just be a hindrance._

_But…_

_At the same time, I'm scared._

_I'm scared, Ruby._

_I don't want to go._

_I don't want to be alone._

_I don't want to leave everyone's side._

Quivering under that tree, Yang knew that if her sister saw her in that fragile, pitiful state that she would have broken down right there and then. And amidst her tears and fears, Yang fell asleep again.

* * *

_Where are you, Yang? _

Ruby had relentlessly searched for the entire day, not even sleeping through the night, her solitary sneezes being the only thing confirming to her that she was indeed alone. She was determined to find her sister, no matter what it took. She dragged her feet through the exhaustion, the bitter cold numbing her feet. But she didn't care about that. If it took her legs, she would give them. If it took her eyes, she would give them. If it took her life, she would give it.

As long as she could see Yang.

Crescent Rose by her side, her movements grew more sluggish with every minute that slowly ticked past. Fatigue was affecting her and she knew it, but she pushed onwards anyway. When she dropped to her knees, she carried on crawling. When her knees could take no more, she dragged herself through the snow with just her arms. When the cold finally got to her fingers, her breathing growing faster and faster she finally lost the strength to carry on moving. Her chest stung - no, it burned. It felt as though someone was scorching her lungs with every breath. And then, she finally lost consciousness, succumbing to sleep through her fever.

'There's someone over here!'

'It's a girl with red hair and a scythe.'

'It's her!'

Raven's worried voice carried through the air as she dashed to Ruby's side.

'Oh my God, I'm so sorry… this is all my fault…'

Turning to look at two of the other soldiers she beckoned them over.

'Take her back to Gray. She's got a high fever and her breathing's pretty erratic. It seems like pneumonia. Gray should have something for it.'

The soldiers did as she told them, hastily carrying Ruby back to the facility whilst doing everything they could to keep her warm. Her temperature was dangerously low, and had they been a few minutes late it could easily have cost Ruby her life.

_Thank God I was in time… now where the hell is Neo?_

Little did she know that Neo was already nearing her destination, having headed straight for the Valley rather than choosing to search for Yang. While she was shivering and most definitely feeling the effects of the cold, Neo was in a much better shape than Ruby.

Raven got a call not too long afterwards that Neo had arrived on her own, much to their relief. Calling the search off, they all headed back, both Neo and Ruby requiring medical attention for their conditions.

Raven's tensed muscles relaxed as she realised they were both going to survive. Ruby's condition was far more severe, but Neo was up and about within a few days.

'Where does that stamina come from?' Raven asked her, almost in awe of how quickly Neo recovered from her fever.

'Who knows,' Neo responded, a playful teasing tone to her voice. The both of them sat at Ruby's side nearly every day, her chest gently rising and falling as proof that she was still alive and kicking.

'She's strong,' Neo commented. 'She's very strong. Stronger than either of us, that's for sure. She has so much potential it's scary.'

Neo's sudden seriousness surprised Raven. It was the first time she had seen the girl show this side to her, and it worried her a little bit. She almost seemed _scared. _Looking back at the frail redhead laying in front of her, she couldn't help but wonder.

_Is she really that powerful?_

Raven knew that Neo was strong, and she knew that she herself was stronger than Neo, but for some reason Neo's fear seemed to spread to her.

_Even if she has all this power, she wouldn't use it against any of us._

_Would she?_

Why?

Why did that single phrase send shockwaves of fear through Raven?

Yes, they had argued, and she might have even angered and hurt Ruby with her words, but she wasn't the kind of person to seek revenge.

Right?

Flooded with paranoia, she went back to her room for a while to think things through.

'No, she wouldn't. But… she doesn't harbour any strong positive feelings towards me. Stop it Raven, you're being stupid. You're just being stupid and paranoid, right?'

Muttering to herself like that, the stress ate at her so much so to the point that she couldn't sleep that night. Tossing and turning, she couldn't help but be scared of what Ruby might do out of revenge. And then, her door began to creak. Slowly groaning, the door's hinges ached as it slowly opened, letting in the unintelligible whispers of her twilight visitor. Frozen with fear, she took a glance at the clock.

2:46 AM. Who would want anything with her at that time of the morning?

Well, there was one person who would have a reason to come to her when nobody else was around.

'No… please…'

Strapped with fear, she could do nothing but beg and mumble at the mysterious stranger who had opened her door. And then, almost in defiance her door slammed open completely, making a loud bang against the wall.

'NOOO!'

Her ear-shattering scream rang through the halls as she fainted, her tears still staining her face.

'Raven? Raven?!'

When she woke, she found she was hyperventilating, breathing in quick, short gasps.

'Raven, what's wrong?'

'There was… was s-someone in my room… last night…'

She almost couldn't force herself to squeeze the words out, her terror choking her throat as she spoke.

'Raven, it was just the wind.'

What?

Raven's head didn't know what to make of this information.

'Someone left a window open last night, and the wind was especially strong last night. That's all.'

'B-but they opened my door…'

'Your lock has been broken for a few days now, remember?'

_Oh yeah._

_That's right._

She felt silly, having worried over something so easily explained. Her tense mood calming, she finally began to relax. She realised that had she simply thought about the situation, she would have seen the obvious solution to the problem. The whispers were simply murmurs of the wind, the door slamming being the wind pushing it open. It all made sense, and what's more, Ruby was still unconscious.

_I'm such an idiot, _she thought to herself.

* * *

A few days later, Ruby finally awoke from her comatose state, Raven being one of the first people to go visit her.

'Where am I?' she asked, still groggy from a combination of the medication, illness and waking up.

'You're at the Snowpeak facility,' Raven gently answered, Ruby recognising the voice as hers.

'Wait, I was-'

'You were nearly dead is what you were,' she cut in, trying to shrug her fears off as she spoke. 'You're such an idiot sometimes.'

Ruby gave her a look that was almost sorrowful.

'Look, I'm sorry Ruby. I said some things back there that I really shouldn't have, and I understand if you don't want to forgive me for what I said.'

'Are you stupid?' Ruby replied, Raven realising it was hopeless. Of course she wouldn't just forgive her as if nothing happened. But then Ruby carried on, and shocked Raven with her words.

'If anything, I should be apologising to you. I wasn't thinking of how you felt at all. You're her twin, and yet I just flattened your feelings in favour of mine.'

Raven decided to take the opportunity to make amends.

'Friends?' Raven said, opening her arms to Ruby.

'Friends,' she replied, embracing Raven's warmth.

'I understand if you still want to search for Yang, but you're not going to go out there _just _yet,' Raven continued, having a proposal in mind. 'I spoke to Ozpin and Glynda the other day, and they're willing to personally train you in combat. They said that there are things about you that you don't even know. Things that will make you a force to be reckoned with. From what I can gather, you're one of the strongest Huntresses they've ever seen. Even Glynda seemed to be surprised at how much potential you've got, Ruby. If you want to go out and look for her again, at least take the training first.'

Ruby didn't even have to think about it. What was there to think about? Of course she would take it. If it would give her the strength to protect the people she had left then of course she would take it. All she'd ever wanted to do was to protect others.

'Alright, it's a deal. But when I do go searching for Yang, you're coming with me,' she said with a smile.

'Deal.'

The two of them hugged again, before Raven sent Ruby off to Ozpin and Glynda. After she had eaten and gotten something to drink, they wanted to immediately start her training, Ruby being the same. The sooner she got stronger, the better.

_Good luck, Ruby._

_Because by the time we go looking for Yang, I have a bad feeling that I won't be able to accompany you._

She didn't know what it was, but something didn't feel right, and Raven knew exactly what it was. Yuki, an X-Class Grimm had assaulted the facility many times during her time here, but for some reason she hadn't attacked a single time while she had been gone. Something was wrong, but she couldn't quite put her finger on what.

There was one thing she did know, however.

Their peace would not last long.


	29. Snow Girl

'Ruby,' Ozpin's coarse voice called, 'do you know exactly why we called you here?'

'Umm… to train me, right?'

'Correct, but that is not what I am asking. Do you know why we want to train you?'

Ruby wasn't sure how to respond. She assumed it was to make her stronger, of course. What other reason could there possibly be? Looking around the room, she realised that their training room was actually extremely small.

_It's going to be hard to use my semblance in here… wait, my semblance! Could they be trying to improve my use of aura?_

'We called you here to show you what your semblance is.'

'Uhh… but… I already know my semblance,' Ruby told them, a puzzled look on her face.

'No. You're half right, but there's something very vital that you've missed. Have you ever noticed that you use an abnormally large amount of aura compared to other people? For such a simple speed semblance, have you never found it strange that it should use so much aura?'

When she thought about it, he was right. Her aura did deplete rather quickly. Ruby had noticed it the few times she used her semblance, but always shrugged it off as just being her.

'You probably didn't even notice it yourself seeing as you don't have the same mastery of aura control as Glynda and I, but your semblance is not speed.'

'Then… what is it?'

Taking a sip from his coffee, Ozpin's mouth seemed to move independently from the words he spoke. What did he just say?

'Sorry, could you repeat that please?'

'You have the ability to manipulate the flow of time itself, Ruby. Tell me, when you use your semblance, do you ever notice that other people still look completely normal to you? Normally when travelling at such a speed they would appear to be blurred as you go past, but for you it's different, isn't it? When you used your semblance you yourself might believe that you're going faster, and to everyone else it would appear that way, however that is not what happens at all. You are actually manipulating your own sense of time. Your semblance simultaneously speeds up your perception of time and dulls anyone else's perception of time, giving the illusion that you are moving much faster than you actually are. Your semblance may just be one of the most powerful I've ever seen in my life, Ruby.'

She was stunned. She had this incredible power this whole time, and she never knew? And on top of that, Ozpin managed to figure it out before her. It just goes to show why he was the headmaster of Beacon for such a long time, possessing the amount of skill and strength he did.

'So, Ruby. Would you like to begin your training?'

'Yeah,' she confidently responded. 'Let's do it.'

Hour after hour, day after day, Ruby trained with Ozpin and Glynda in that room. Aura control, stamina management, situational awareness, they went through every technique under the sun with her over and over, driving the techniques into her head through rigorous repetition.

* * *

Meanwhile elsewhere in the facility, people continued going about their work, Raven all the while trying to figure out Yuki's motives.

_Think… why would she completely leave them alone whenever I'm not here? She must want me but… for what?_

No matter how many scenarios she came up with in her head, she couldn't think of a single thing that only she could do that could possibly be of any use to the Grimm. She had thought extensively about each of her abilities and skills, and then it dawned on her.

Maybe she was looking at it from the wrong angle.

_Maybe it's not that they need me for anything, _she thought. _Maybe it's the opposite. Could it be that I'm the only one they deem to be a threat? No, that can't be it._

Her thoughts led her in circles. If it was a matter of being threatening to them, then why wouldn't Ozpin or Glynda be targeted? Ruby, too. Surely if it was an issue of danger then the Grimm would have been upon the base long before now.

_This is getting me nowhere. _

Taking a break, she decided to go make herself some coffee to calm down. Maybe she'd even ask Ozpin for some of his special brand.

* * *

'When did I fall asleep?' Yang murmured to herself, still drowsy after waking. She could feel her heartbeat pounding in her chest, as though she had just been running at full speed.

_Is that because of the Grimm genes?_

_I guess they're starting to slowly show more physical symptoms then._

_It won't be too long before I turn completely, probably two months at the very latest if I hold the transformation off._

_It's colder now._

She could feel the icy air prickling her skin, the hair on her body standing on edge in the frost.

_I guess it's to be expected, though. I _am _near the Northern Peaks after all. Still… it's really giving hell to my right eye._

The eye in question had begun to feel the effects of Grimmification much more than the rest of her body. It acted as a starting point for the takeover, her eye itself bloodshot, the sclera being a murky grey colour mixing with the swirls of red. Around her eye several thick, pronounced black veins throbbed viciously, shooting pain through her head with every beat of her heart. A never-ending headache, a permanent reminder of the monster she was becoming. Yang didn't care about the pain. It was more the fear of becoming an unrecognizable creature that lives only to kill. That primal fear that was drilled into her skull was slowly becoming a reality, and she was forced to just wait for her inevitable end. She had considered suicide several times over the past few days, and even brought herself to the edge of a cliff at one point, although she was unable to bring herself to do it. She was a scared young girl, one with a cursed fate to wander the land eternally until someone finally brought her life to an end.

The weeks passed, and her eye grew steadily worse. The black veins had expanded to her cheek and forehead now, almost contaminating the left side of her face. She knew it wouldn't be long before she began to stop recognising herself.

_All I wanted was to live a normal life._

_To be able to laugh with Ruby. To tease Weiss and play stupid pranks on her. To scratch Blake's adorable cat ears, and watch her cute reactions…_

_I wanted to have fun with my friends._

_Instead, they're all either missing or dead. Even my dad's gone now. I had to abandon Ruby._

_I never got to enjoy time with Raven, the sister I didn't know I had._

_Why is life so cruel and unfair?_

_Why can't I just be like everyone else?_

_Why can't I wake up and find out that this was all my imagination, that my friends are all still alive and happy?_

_I still want to live, damn it!_

_But… that doesn't matter now. It's over. I took a loan from the Grimm genes that were implanted inside me, and now I'm paying the interest back._

This was how it was going to be. Tears rolling down her cheeks, she resigned herself to her fate. She knew it was inescapable. She would become a Grimm sooner or later, and that would be that. Nothing she could do would change that fact.

_I just wish I could change things. If I could go back and do them differently, maybe I could fix things. Maybe I could save everyone. Maybe…_

It was all just maybe. Everything she thought rode on maybes.

Sliding her body down against a rock, she let the fatigue take her again, collapsing into sleep.

_I'm starting to get a lot more tired recently. Is that to do with the transformation too?_

_Well, I guess I'll never know._

* * *

Panting heavily, Ruby had exhausted her aura to its very limits. Three weeks had passed since these sessions began, Ruby growing exponentially stronger in that time.

'Very good,' Ozpin complimented. Ruby had single-handedly managed to fight off both Ozpin and Glynda, the control she exerted over her semblance through the training improving her ability tenfold.

'I think you're just about ready,' Glynda told her with a pleased smile. 'There's nothing more we can teach you.'

'Wait, you mean…'

'Yes,' Glynda continued, 'you have surpassed both of us completely.'

A heart-warming smile covered Ruby's face. She was proud of herself, and thankful to the two of them for their help.

'Thank you for everything. I couldn't have done it without you.'

'Don't worry about it,' Ozpin replied, taking a sip from his mug. '

_Yang, I'm going to find you. Don't worry, I'll bring you back safe and sound._

Going to rest, she decided.

Tomorrow, she would go search for Yang again. The Snowpeak Valleys were surrounded on all sides by bodies of water other than the mountain pass, and Raven had found faint footprints in the snow the morning after Yang had left that led in the direction they were following, meaning she had to be somewhere in the valley. Of course, she could have just left the valley during that time, but Ruby knew Yang better than anyone. She wouldn't have that thought process, and she never really paid much attention to geography anyway so she probably didn't know about the water, meaning there was a good chance she was still wandering around somewhere.

_Tomorrow, I'm coming to find you Yang._

She slept peacefully through the night once again. It had been months since her recurring nightmare had haunted her dreams, much to her relief.

When the sun rose, she went over to Raven's room, the black haired girl already wide awake.

'You ready?' Ruby asked, checking Crescent Rose as she spoke.

'Yeah, we just need to go get Adam and we can go.'

Raven noticed an impressive air of confidence about Ruby, almost as though she was a completely different person after her training. After the three of them had gathered their things, they notified the others and set out, venturing to the west of the facility. That was the largest area, so they decided to start there as it was more likely for Yang to be there. Hours of searching produced no results however, and soon the sun began to fall beyond the horizon.

'Guess we're out of luck today, huh?' Ruby said, disappointed.

'Seems so,' Raven answered. 'Let's head back.'

_I guess I was wrong to doubt her. Nothing happened after all._

Raven's relief was unimaginable. She half expected Ruby to hold a grudge against her for abandoning her in the snow, but it seemed she'd already forgotten about the incident as though it never happened.

* * *

During the day, there was quite a commotion at the facility.

'I said, STAY WHERE YOU ARE!'

Gray had gone out to see what was going on, seeing a soldier pointing his gun at a girl who was trudging through the snow, shivering from the cold. She was wearing a violet yukata, and her skin was pale white. Gray pushed the soldier aside, going to comfort the girl.

'Are you alright?'

She looked up at him, her pure white eyes full of gratitude for her saviour.

'Come on; let's get you inside where it's warm.'

After covering her with blankets, she began to stop shivering as much.

'What were you doing out there?' he asked, curious as to why a girl wearing apparel like hers was venturing through the snow.

'I was looking for someone. An old friend of mine. She's got black hair and a big multi-coloured sword.'

'Ah, you're probably talking about Raven. She's out at the moment, but she'll be back soon.'

He was about to leave before he turned around at the door.

'I almost forgot, you must be hungry after being out there. You want anything in particular to eat?'

'Well, I am partial to a bit of human flesh every now and then,' she said as a joke, her smile highlighting her beauty.

_Amazing,_ Gray thought to himself, _she's so cheerful after what she must have been through._

'Oh, sorry, I just realised I didn't even introduce myself,' he sheepishly apologised, 'I'm Gray. What's your name?'

'Well,' she said, looking downwards, 'I don't really have a name of my own. My parents never gave me one, but some friendly people named me not too long ago,' she said, continuing to look towards the ground. As she slowly raised her head, Gray's blood turned to ice as he saw her eyes. Her once pure-white eyes that were now a horrifying blood red colour.

'They call me Yuki.'


	30. Frostbitten

Gray couldn't believe it.

There was only one thing that they were afraid of, and that was the X-Class known as Yuki.

And they had willingly invited her inside their home.

Backing away slowly, Yuki stood up, exuding an air of elegance and grace despite being a creature powerful enough to kill thousands.

'Do you fear me, human?'

Gray was definitely afraid. However, his fear changed to curiosity when he realised she was not attacking him.

'I shall ask again. Do you fear me?'

Her voice held a threatening weight to it, and Gray worried that if he didn't answer her then she would kill him there and then.

'Y-yes…'

His voice wavered, unsure of where she was leading the topic.

'Why is it you fear me?'

_Is this a trick question? Is she seriously asking why we fear a monster capable of killing us with a thought?_

'Because you're a mon-'

Carefully thinking about his words, he restated his sentence.

'Because you're a Grimm.'

'And that alone is worthy of hating and fearing me? Because of what I am?'

'Grimm eat humans. Of course I'd be afraid.' His voice was much more confident now, the feeling of terror all but disappearing throughout their conversation. Thinking about what he had said, Yuki seemed to be lost in thought before raising her eyes to meet his once again.

'So, you believe it is right to shun a man because his brother is a murderer?'

'What? Of course not! That's a ridiculous thought!' he replied, before realising just what she was implying.

'So then,' she continued, staring at him with such passion that it felt to Gray as though she was staring into his very soul, 'why do you continue to ostracize Grimm, even when they themselves have not attempted to harm a human?'

The thought made him sick to his stomach. Even if he wanted to deny it, he knew she was correct. Some Grimm really didn't seem all that interested in humans, and it seemed as though there were even some that were friendly to humanity. Even so, it didn't stop the humans mindlessly slaughtering every Grimm they laid eyes on. It reminded him of the Great War. When the four kingdoms were in combat, invasions happened every other day, and each one brought with it many innocent deaths. Thousands of people who surrendered were mercilessly killed, and Gray himself had taken some of those lives. The guilt had never left him, but he carried on nonetheless. Was it really the Grimm that were the monsters in all of this?

'W… what are you getting at?' he nervously asked, clearly disturbed by her words.

Ignoring his question, she carried on speaking about herself.

'You see, I have some very distinct memories. I was a human once, just like you. I killed Grimm, just like you. However, my death was not caused by Grimm. A bunch of vile scum managed to capture me and held me prisoner. They did things to me that I will not say for the sake of my pride and dignity, but they were far from gentle. When I fought the Grimm, they seemed almost desperate to defeat me and the people I travelled with. Almost as if they had some purpose we were unaware of. The humans, however, merely committed their sins for sport. There was no rhyme or reason to it; it was just senseless violence for the purpose of self pleasure. Afterwards, I could not bear to live on carrying those memories, and I claimed my own life. But I was reborn. I do not know how, and to be perfectly honest I do not care. But I realised one thing. I was reborn with a purpose.'

Gray began to quiver with fear as the floor beneath Yuki slowly began to freeze over, the ice crawling its way along the floor and walls towards him. Despite being right next to the door, he felt as though he was trapped in that room, forced to eternally suffer at her hand.

'I was reborn so I could destroy the real monsters.'

Giving him an infuriated look, she sent the ice shooting across his body freezing his legs to the ground.

'I was reborn to kill all humans.'

In the next instant, his body was completely frozen over, his heart giving out from the shock of the sudden temperature change. Opening the door, she slowly made her way through the facility, several guards noticing her, but before they could call for help she silenced them. The bodies stood, the last images of terror etched forever onto their faces, almost like some kind of disturbing effigy to her wrath.

_This way leads to the room where they are. Ozpin… Glynda… you shall both pay for failing your duty as Huntsmen. You abandoned your students, making it look as though you had done all you could. In reality, you could have saved all of your students had you given your lives to protect them._

_The first sin of humanity: self preservation above all else. If it places you at risk, you choose to save yourselves rather than save your school. The needs of the few rather than the needs of the many. How pitiable. You will suffer greatly in Hell for your crimes._

* * *

Walking back in silence, Ruby admired the beautiful view of the valleys, having missed the chance to properly look at them before. It truly was a sight to behold, the glittering white snow blanketing over the horizon, the sun glowing radiantly as it began to fade from view, the sky tinting a beautiful orange colour as night began to fall. Not paying attention, she ended up walking right into the back of Raven, hurting her nose.

'Oww… why'd you stop?' she asked, looking at Raven's face only to see her staring into the distance in disbelief. Turning her head to see what Raven was looking at, she too saw it. Even with the snow covering the ground, they could see that something was very definitely wrong. The facility was covered in ice, as though some sort of frozen dome was enveloping the structure. They began to sprint back, Raven unable to shake the feeling that she already knew what was happening.

_Yuki…_

Raven knew it couldn't be any other, her suspicions only gaining strength the closer they got.

Approaching the main entrance, all the guards were long since dead. Frozen in place, they were like living ice sculptures.

Carefully entering, the entire building was silent as the grave, giving an eerie impression of solitude. To add to that, it was essentially in the middle of nowhere, having been intended as a secret bunker used by the Vacuo officials.

'Why is everything covered in ice…?' Ruby asked timidly, not daring to raise her voice further than a whisper, fearful of what may be lurking around each corner.

'Yuki,' Raven answered, Adam nodding in agreement. 'It's her. She's finally come herself. We need to find the others and get the hell out.'

'Is she really that dangerous?'

'How much trouble did Taiyang give you?' Raven answered, her voice shaking as she spoke.

'A lot. I couldn't do a thing to him.'

'Well, imagine a Grimm of Taiyang's strength. Now imagine a Grimm that has twice as much power, and you've got Yuki. She only appeared around a year ago, but she's cited as one of the, if not the most powerful Grimm alive. Possibly even the most powerful one to ever exist.'

The thought of such a Grimm sent shockwaves of fear flowing through her. Yes, she had grown exponentially stronger compared to a month ago at Taiyang's castle, but even she wasn't sure her skill was enough to defeat a Grimm of that calibre. Nevertheless, they continued to follow the trail of death and ice that had been left in Yuki's wake, knowing that at the end of that path they would be confronted with an unimaginable terror manifested in the form of a Grimm.

* * *

'You will both pay for your sins.'

Yuki said these words as she stared down at Ozpin and Glynda, both of them knowing what she meant by those words.

'We may be at fault, but is that any reason to kill everyone else in this facility?' Ozpin asked, his usual casual demeanour now exchanged for a serious attitude that Glynda had only ever seen him wear once before. It was during the Faunus Rights Revolution. He had seen several of his friends killed before his very eyes, both Faunus and human alike, and had worn that same expression as he challenged one of the leaders of the revolt. Their duel was near cataclysmic, the strength used in that battle apocalyptic in nature. It was the only time she had ever seen Ozpin lose that cool-headed façade he always wore, and she knew that the return of that pained face meant a similar experience would soon occur. However, this was not the scale of opponent that could simply be defeated with sheer force. Yuki had an annoying ability to lower the air temperature around her to such lows that everything that came into contact with those temperatures froze almost instantaneously.

'Ozpin, this is neither the time nor place,' Glynda said, attempting to dislodge his anger, but he was having none of it.

'Glynda, leave me. This is a fight I shall undergo alone. There is no reason for you to risk your life fighting with me,' he said considerately, trying to force her to leave. The last thing he wanted was one of his closest and dearest friends to die trying to protect him. Truthfully, he knew that he could not defeat Yuki alone. He simply made the decision to fight her because he also knew that they would not escape her. At least this way he could save someone. It was a small consolation, and could never make up for abandoning his students but it was at least something. He didn't try to hide his crimes, because he knew that Yuki must have known about his past. Why else would she claim that they must pay for their sins?

'I'm not going anywhere,' she stubbornly stated, adamant that she was going to stay by his side to the very end.

'GLYNDA!'

She was taken aback by his sudden outburst of anger, as his eyes met hers, a combination of pain and anger dwelling inside his heart. Immediately she realised what his intentions were, and while it distressed her to no end she reluctantly began to comply.

_I'm sorry, Ozpin. I'm sorry, and I'll never forget this act of heroism._

Faced with certain doom, Ozpin flung himself at Yuki whilst Glynda escaped through the main hall. She heard his cries of anguish as she ran, tears forming in her eyes. But she never once turned back. She had regrets, of course. Many, many regrets. The greatest, however, was the regret of lost love. She had never told Ozpin how she truly felt about him, believing it to be unfitting of a teacher to fall in love with the headmaster. She wished that she could turn back time and cause their love to blossom, but it was far too late for that now.

The man she loved was dead. He died to save her, no less. That was what hurt the most.

* * *

Swiftly making their way through the corridors, Raven made sure to get a good look at everyone who had died by Yuki's hand. She wanted to etch those faces into her memory, to make sure not a one of them was forgotten.

Those thoughts were soon overridden when she saw a certain person frozen in ice.

'No… please… tell me this is a joke…'

Seeing Gray's fearful expression, she dropped to her knees in despair.

'Gray…'

Adam knelt beside her, putting an arm around her to comfort her before he was shrugged off.

'She killed him… that man was like a father to me, and she killed him…'

Clenching Spectrum tighter than ever, she got back to her feet, her face a mixture of contorted rage and determination. Pressing her left foot against the ground, Adam and Ruby instinctively took a step back as a massive amount of aura gathered in her toes, before she used that aura to push against the ground with incredible force, uprooting the tiling as she rocketed down the hallway, picking up momentum and speed with each burst.

_I'LL KILL HER! I'LL KILL THAT FUCKING BITCH FOR WHAT SHE'S DONE!_

As she blazed down the hallway, she passed Glynda at such a speed that she wasn't sure whether she had actually been there or if it was just her imagination. Wielding Eclipse, the black form of her blade she saw the figure of Yuki coming into view. Swinging her blade, she abruptly came to a stop as her momentum caught up with her, the blade sinking right into her target. But she had not quite hit her mark. Rather than Yuki, the sword had sank into a wall of ice that had been hastily created in front of her.

_Shit…!_

Realising that her blade would rupture the ice and cause it to shatter in every direction, she raised her arm to cover her eyes. She didn't have enough time to equip her white blade, so she had to accept whatever injuries she was given. Sure enough, the ice sank into her flesh, like a series of vicious fangs trying to tear the meat from her bones. It hurt, but the pain was nothing compared to the pain in her heart. The emotional destruction she had felt upon seeing Gray's dead figure, frozen in place with a pitiful look of fear painted on his face was far worse. Her anger had begun to calm down however, after she realised that she had just launched an attack on a Grimm whose power she couldn't even begin to imagine. Ruby had been using her semblance to try and reach Raven as fast as possible, but she was still too late to prevent Yuki from beginning her assault.

'You're such a dolt, recklessly attacking an X-Class like that.'

Without any hesitation, Yuki began to freeze Raven's left leg, her skin losing all feeling as the ice took over.

_This is gonna sting like a bitch, but I don't have a choice!_

Changing her sword to green, she cut the leg clean off from the knee downwards, stabbing herself afterwards to close the wound and prevent blood loss. She heard the sound of footsteps behind here, and knew Ruby had arrived.

'Tell Adam to get to the tunnel! He'll know what I mean, now go!'

Changing her sword to red as she spoke, she created a portal, feeling the effects of Yuki's ice creeping up her leg again as she crawled through, quickly closing it afterwards. She had just barely escaped a second assault, and her vision was hazy from the strange feeling of missing half of her leg.

_I'm an idiot, _she chided herself. _As if I could take on an X-Class Grimm… god, sometimes I wish someone would just slap me for being so stupid._

Ruby passed the message on to Adam, and he immediately turned to lead them to the destination Raven had specified. Glynda tagged along with them, using her aura to inhibit Yuki's movement, although it only slowed her down by a few seconds at most. Her ice was extremely powerful, and it seemed to only gain on them despite the speed at which they were running. Yuki herself seemed to be catching up, yet when they looked at her she was deceptively appearing to walk. Even when chasing her prey, she retained a formal grace about her that gave Ruby the image she had been given a very high class upbringing, as well as the manner of speaking she used. Seriously, who used the word dolt if they weren't upper class?

Sure, Weiss often used the word to tell Ruby off, but other than that she hadn't heard a single person use it in her life.

_Wait…_

Ruby began to think heavily as she ran.

_That refined manner of speaking._

_A semblance that revolves around ice._

_She appeared around a year ago… that's exactly around the time that Weiss died…_

_It couldn't be…_

_Could it?_

Lost in thought, she didn't even realise when they arrived at their destination. There was a large door in front of them, and a keypad next to it. It seemed to require a 16 digit code to open, but Raven had readied it in advance.

'Good to see you all,' Raven said with a false smile, knowing what was coming. 'Get in there, I'll be right behind you.'

As they all piled in, Yuki's silhouette soon appeared, growing ever closer as Raven internally calmed herself.

When the three of them were in the room, Raven slammed the door shut and rapidly inputted the combination again, the door making a resounding series of clicks to confirm that it had indeed sealed shut.

When Ruby had realised what was happening, it was too late. The door was locked.

'RAVEN! RAVEN, OPEN THIS DOOR RIGHT NOW! GET IN HERE RIGHT NOW!'

Ruby's panicked screams met Raven's ears, but she quietly responded through the door;

'I'm sorry, Ruby. If you waited for me to get into that tunnel then I wouldn't have had time to seal the door. I'm the only one left that knows the code to this door, and you wouldn't make it if you waited for me.'

'Can't you use your portals to get in here?'

Raven tried, but she could not hide her sorrow as she spoke.

'That's out of the question, too. The room I'm in was built out of a material designed to render dust completely unusable whilst within these walls. That's what powers my portals, Ruby. Look, I understand that you're upset. Hell, I'm upset too, but this is the way it has to be. This is where I meet my end, Ruby.'

'NO! YOU DON'T HAVE TO DO THIS!'

Ruby's wails were all for naught, and she knew it as well as Raven did, but she couldn't help but cry. She had lost another sister, and the last family she had left. Yang was missing, her mother was dead, she hadn't seen Qrow in forever and she didn't know who her father was, and now even Raven was gone? It was too cruel. It was like life was playing one huge prank on her, except the prank had gone far past what was considered harmless.

Raven turned to face her fate, the snow girl staring down at her.

'May I ask a few things before I die?' Raven said, her voice bitter with acceptance.

'Of course.'

'Why did you target me? All those times you sent Grimm to this place, I was always here. What did you want from me?'

'Is that so? That was merely coincidence. I sent those Grimm to bring me an accurate layout of the building, so that I would know where to find those I wished to kill the most when the time came for me to personally make my move.'

'Alright,' Raven said, relieved that there wasn't some other reason that Yuki had attacked the place, 'then how about this one. You're a former human, correct?'

This time it was Yuki's turn to be surprised.

'I'm impressed. How did you come to that conclusion?'

'Well,' Raven continued, 'when I caught a glimpse of your face, for just a split second you hesitated. A pure Grimm does not hesitate. Battle is engraved into their minds, and survival takes priority over everything. Only an artificial Grimm would take even the slightest millisecond of hesitation.'

'You are correct. I left this world as a human, and was reborn as a Grimm.'

'So,' Raven asked, a contented smile crossing her face, 'what's your real name?'

Without giving an answer, Yuki simply created a spear of ice, driving it through Raven's chin and up through her skull, killing her instantly.

'My name is Yuki. My former name is unimportant.'

* * *

Ruby had to be dragged away from the door by force. She kicked and screamed, but after a few hours she gave up, submitting to Adam and Glynda. Yuki had not followed them, presumably being stopped by the door that led into the tunnel. When they reached the other side of the tunnel, they found that it led out towards the eastern side of the Snowpeak Valleys, and they arrived in the basement of a small supply shack.

Deciding to take a break, Ruby asked Glynda a question that had bugged her ever since her arrival at the facility.

'Where did you come from?'

Puzzled, Glynda asked what she meant.

'I know that after the Grimm attacked Beacon that you went to the Schnee house. So why are you here?'

Glynda immediately knew she had been caught out, so decided to lay bare the truth.

'The Schnee family were all killed.'

Ruby couldn't contain her shock. After just having lost one of her closest friends, now she found out that Weiss' family were dead?

This only made her even more suspicious about Yuki.

'How did they die, exactly?'

An uncomfortable silence drifted over Glynda, the blonde being reluctant to elaborate on the details.

'They were frozen to death, weren't they?'

Glynda didn't answer, but she didn't need to. The look on her face gave it all away.

'I knew it. Yuki came from the Schnees, didn't she?'

'…Yes.'

'Tell me what happened, Glynda. I need to know.'

She knew the redhead would not stop pestering her, so she decided to just spill the beans.

'They… they were trying to bring someone back to life.'

'It was Weiss, wasn't it?'

'Yes. It was Weiss.'

'How did they do it?'

Thinking about how to answer, Glynda sorted out the words in her head. It was complicated stuff, so she wasn't sure whether Ruby would understand or not but she tried anyway.

'This gets pretty confusing, so listen carefully. Long ago, back when man first fought the Grimm, we were killed by the thousands trying to stop them. When dust was discovered, people used its properties to destroy the Grimm and manifest aura, creating entire civilizations using the stuff. But people also believed something else. There were some who believed the Grimm were divine creatures, sent by a higher being to test mankind. The fact that Grimm did not need food to live furthered that belief, and they were often attributed with immortality, especially seeing how their bodies disappear a short while after death. Some people then though if the Grimm represented immortality, perhaps they also had ties to the theory of resurrection. It wasn't long after that people began drawing ritual seals powered by dust, using Grimm parts as catalysts to try to bring people back to life. There was no proof that it ever worked, but while me and Ozpin were patrolling outside the mansion, they must have attempted it. They had recently been informed of Weiss' death by Blake, Nora and Ren, and were coping quite badly with it. When we came back, we found a ritual seal along with all of their frozen corpses.'

'Is it possible that they really did bring Weiss back?'

'Maybe,' she replied, 'but I don't know. All I know is that Yuki was definitely there, and they carried out the ritual whilst me and Ozpin were gone.

Ruby was sure of it now. Everything all fell into place.

The Schnees had used the ritual to attempt to bring Weiss back to life, but thanks to the fact they used parts of a Grimm as the catalyst she was revived as a Grimm, with little to no memory of her previous self. The mannerisms and memories had slowly seeped back into her head, and Yuki, or rather Weiss, had slowly began to revert to her old self, but the Grimm was still in control. Blaming humans for her death, her Grimm half sought revenge and lashed out at all humans she found.

It all made sense.

Yuki was, no – Yuki _is _Weiss.


	31. Lost and Found

Neo took a deep breath from relief. When she had returned from the bathroom she had seen Gray's frozen corpse as well as the frozen hallways, and immediately realised something was wrong. Hiding in the closet, she had waited patiently, the commotion happening elsewhere telling her that she had made a wise decision. Whilst there she carefully listened out for any sign that the fighting was over, the occasional sounds of footsteps running back and forth indicating someone was running through the halls. She waited for another 20 minutes, the lack of sound meaning it was most likely safe to exit, so she left and headed deeper into the facility, her destination being Gray's office.

And that led her to where she was now. Trying to find the key to open his door, she realised that it was most likely on his body which was now encased in ice, in which case she wouldn't be able to break through. The ice had a faint feeling of aura from it, meaning it would be much stronger than ordinary ice. Forced to find a different entrance, she attempted to break the door down, but the reinforced steel that the door was built from was far too strong to be broken by her small blade. Her weapon was specialised in single combat, crafted with speed in mind rather than power. Frustrated, she knew there was no other way into the room. She had tried several times before, but not a single window adorned its walls. It felt much more like some kind of bunker than a person's private quarters, but Neo refused to simply leave. Not until she had gotten what she came for. Eventually, she decided to go search for the others, opting to come back at a later date, hiding Gray's body as she did.

_When I come back, I will get into that room. You will not keep what I want away from me, Gray._

The frustrated girl looked around the facility, noticing that not a single soul was left alive. It was like a giant tomb, hidden by the snow and preserved in ice. Honestly, the atmosphere around her gave her the creeps. It felt as though there was always someone there, constantly watching her, even though the building was almost completely silent. It wasn't helped by the fact that every now and then she would hear the sound of a few pots crashing to the ground or a door creaking open, or a voice.

Wait... a voice?

'I know you're here, girl.'

Shivers went down her spine. How? How were they aware of her presence? She had been quiet as could be! There was simply no way that she could have heard her, and then she realised.

_Gray's door alarm!_

His door was fitted with a device that detected DNA. If you weren't authorized to access his room and you attempted to open the door, an alert would be sent to Gray's room, Gray himself and the security room. In her rashness she had completely forgotten about that fact, and realising just how big of a mistake she had made, she bolted for the entrance to the facility, her heart stopping dead when she saw how defeated she had been. In place of the entrance, a gargantuan block of ice covered the doorway and the hallway. There was no escape.

_Think, Neo! There has to be some other way out of here! They wouldn't build a facility like this if they could be trapped here, but where the hell is it?!_

Hearing the sound of crackling ice quickly approaching, she realised that the Grimm was aware of her presence. As she ran for another hallway, she quickly thought about everything she was wearing. Nothing on her had been given to her by Gray or anyone else at the facility, so it wasn't a tracking device that was giving her location away.

What then was it that was broadcasting her location for the Grimm to be able to follow her so easily, she wondered. It was possible that the Grimm was skilled in aura detection, but she had masked her aura to the best of her ability, so if that was the case then she had no hope of evading her pursuer. Speeding through the hallways, she realised that in her blind panic, she hadn't been paying attention to where she was running. In the large room in front of her, she saw the frozen body of Ozpin, his face wearing a permanent look of anguish.

'I found youuuuuuu…'

That cold, taunting voice told Neo she had met her match. She knew that the chances of escaping now were nigh impossible, and even if she could she was unaware of any other exits, meaning that even should she get away from the Grimm she wouldn't know where to go.

_So, this is where it ends, huh? Dying in this stinking shithole without even managing to take the Heart of the Philosopher? I really screwed up this time._

Turning to face her adversary, Yuki stood there, her calm expression defying her true feelings of joy. Neo figured if she was going to die anyway then it was worth trying her luck against the Grimm, but to no avail. The second she raised her arm even an inch her hand was impaled by a shard of ice, but she did not scream. She didn't want to give her killer the satisfaction of hearing her suffer before her death.

'Tell me, human. Do you regret your sins?'

Neo was confused by her statement, but decided to play along to amuse herself one last time before her death.

'…Yes. Yes, I do. I regret a lot of the things I've done in my life. The thing I regret the most though, well that's gotta be the fact that I let the man I loved die. If I could just get the Heart of the Philosopher then I thought maybe I could see him one last time. I don't know if you've heard, but it supposedly has the property to allow a person to speak with the spirits of the dead. More specifically, it lets a person speak with the spirit of the person dearest to them. But that's just a fruitless dream now. Do it. I'm ready.'

Hanging her head, she awaited her death, but it never came.

'Would you like to be given the chance to repent for your sins?'

Upon sensing even the slightest opportunity to survive, she took the offer without hesitation.

'Yes.'

'Very well. I shall allow you to live. I will also grant you the Heart of the Philosopher you speak of.'

'What's the catch?' Neo asked, knowing it the Grimm wouldn't spare her if it wasn't of some benefit to her.

'You will help me find and kill humans. That is all.'

Neo was overjoyed. She was being granted her one wish _and _the protection of an X-Class Grimm? It was an offer too good to let escape her grasp.

'Happily,' she responded, a smile returning to her face.

_Oh Ruby, I can't wait until we meet again. Now that I've got what I want I have no reason to play innocent with you._

As a smirk crossed her lips, she knew that the next time she saw the redhead would make for an unforgettable encounter.

* * *

'We should split up,' Adam told the two women.

'What?!'

Their unified cries of disbelief fell on deaf ears, Adam continuing his speech despite them.

'We have no idea how long that door will hold Yuki for, or where she is right now. For all we know, she could come out of that tunnel any minute now. She's already proven that she's much faster than us, so if we stay together she will find and kill us all. At least if we split up there is a chance of some of us surviving.'

As much as what he had said made logical sense, the girls were sceptical about it. If they separated now, then there was definitely a greater risk for all of them, specifically because if they got into any trouble they would have nobody to help them. However, they knew he was right, and reluctantly agreed.

'This might well be the last time we see each other. I don't know if we'll ever meet again, but I wish the two of you the best of luck,' Adam said, standing as he gathered some supplies and unlocked the door to the shack.

'I'm gonna head out ahead of you. I'm no good with goodbyes.'

With not a word more, he headed out, the cold air rushing in as he opened the door. And then he was gone. Venturing on his own path, he headed for the mountains. Staying in the Snowpeak Valleys wouldn't get him anywhere, so if he wanted to get anywhere he would have to head south first. Glynda decided to leave soon after, the two of them sharing a tearful hug and saying their goodbyes.

'Just one thing,' Ruby said with a smile. 'Don't die.'

'I'll try my best,' Glynda shot back, returning her gaze with a wistful smile of her own. In truth, Glynda had left because she didn't want Ruby to have to see her in such a pitiful state. She had barely held back the tears of mourning over Ozpin's death, and as soon as the door closed behind her they flooded out, the teacher unable to stop them.

_I'll make you proud, you old fool. I promise._

Ruby sat for a while longer, relishing the small portion of peace she still had. She was surprised that she had managed to hold onto her sanity for so long. Everyone she knew was gone, and she was left alone in a barren wilderness to search for her sister, with nothing but Crescent Rose by her side. In fact, her weapon had been her only constant through her traumas, and she was sure that it was the reason she was still able to carry on as though nothing had happened. Exiting the door, she too ventured out into the snow, forging her own path forward.

* * *

Yang's condition had slowly been growing worse. She knew she had very little time left, a day at most. Since she hadn't been resisting the process, the Grimm asserted control much quicker than usual. She didn't care though, she just wanted it to be over. She wanted the pain to stop. The fear grew stronger every second. However, it was as though she actually desired it in a way. A small part of her was happy that the Yang she once was would soon be gone. Even she didn't know the reason, but the only thing she could think of was that it would be like a fresh start for her, a life without the memories of watching her friends die, scream and cry in front of her. A life where she might be able to find some happiness, instead of the despair she had been met with over the past year. But as she thought these things, Ruby always came back to her mind. That once naïve young girl had grown into such an amazing woman, capable of hiding her pain with a smile that you could swear was genuinely happy. A talented leader and a great friend. A woman with a future. But most of the, the girl who Yang could proudly call her sister. As she walked, she began to see things. Hallucinations and illusions, which she took to be a sign that her Grimm side was just about ready to take control. These went on for a couple of minutes, when…

'YANG!'

_I'm even hearing things now. I guess the Grimm is giving me one last kindness before it takes control of me completely._

'YANG! LOOK AT ME!'

No, that voice was definitely not a hallucination.

_Please… don't say it. Please tell me you didn't, Ruby…_

_Please, tell me you didn't chase after me!_

Furiously fighting off her Grimm transformation, she tried to run from Ruby, but the pain coupled with her sisters speed meant she had no hope of escape.

_Don't do this! Just… give me a little bit more time, PLEASE!_

She knew better than anyone that Ruby would hesitate to harm a person she loved. Back when they were children they used to play fight all the time, but Ruby would never seriously fight back. She would always give Yang the gentlest of taps.

'_Big sis, I'd never hurt you because you're the bestest sister in the world!'_

Those innocent words of a small Ruby still rang in her head to this very day. She didn't want Ruby to see the big sister she cared so much for in such a pitiful state, much less transform right in front of her!

_Please… don't make me the person to kill my own little sister!_

'Yang!'

She felt Ruby's hand gripping tightly onto her arm, and heard Ruby's sobs of joy as she panted. She didn't look her sister in the face, but she didn't need to. She knew that Ruby would be wearing a face of pure, blissful happiness, which made Yang feel even worse. Her sister had found her after all this time, and yet the first thing she would be greeted with was the almost complete Grimmification of her most treasured person.

'Yang, I… I looked for you for so long! Why did you leave, Yang? Why… tell… going?'

_Huh? That's weird… my hearings going all funny…_

She didn't know for certain what was happening, but she was fairly certain she could make quite an accurate guess.

As she turned to her sister, she knew that the process was finalizing. Her memories were quickly fading, her instincts desiring blood.

'Who… are you?'

In the blink of an eye, she had forgotten her sister. Ruby was shocked, but she could see that it wasn't some kind of sick prank. She could see the confusion in Yang's eyes, and knew that she had legitimately forgotten.

'Yang… Yang, it's me! It's me, Ruby! Your sister!'

Her words were useless. Yang grew more and more confused, and with it more distressed, worrying who this strange red haired girl was.

'I… Yang?'

Even her own name was lost to her now, her mind flooding with thoughts of killing the young girl in front of her.

'No… please… don't take my sister away…'

Ruby watched her sisters face one last time, as the golden haired woman she had grown to love with all her heart began to change. She had noticed her eye, but hoped it was simply an infection, knowing all the while that it wasn't. She thought if she could deceive herself then maybe, just maybe she could keep convincing herself that the woman before her was still her sister.

But that was not the case. Even Ruby couldn't deny what Yang had become, and she had no words for what she was witnessing, but she didn't need them as she dropped to her knees, broken, beaten and sobbing.

The mask covering Yang's face said everything for her.


	32. The Broken Bond of a Broken Girl

'…Yang…?'

Ruby didn't want to believe it. The sister she cared so much for, who she believed was strong enough to overcome anything had fallen.

'No…'

Backing away slowly, she realised that she would never have Yang back. Sure, Taiyang had managed to break through and reclaimed his body for a short while, but it wasn't permanent. A sinking feeling of despair manifested inside of Ruby, but she couldn't tear her eyes away from her sister, even though it caused her so much pain to look. She had a little bit of hope that maybe Yang recognized her because of the fact that she tilted her head as she looked at Ruby, indicating that she was confused and maybe wouldn't consider her an enemy, but that dream was shattered when her face turned to one of hostility, cemented by the vicious snarls that she was letting out.

* * *

'Don't do it! Don't you dare _touch _my little sister!'

Deep inside the Grimm that stood there, fragments of Yang still existed, desperately trying to regain control before the unthinkable could happen.

'Dad, why couldn't you tell me how you did it?! Damn it… if I don't regain control then my sister will die!'

_I'll always protect you, sis! You can count on your big sister to always look after you!_

'What…?'

In front of her, Yang was seeing _herself. _More specifically, she was seeing her younger self, way back before the two had become aspiring Huntresses. A time when they were living in innocent bliss, content with the world. A time when they were happy together.

_Yang, make sure you never let anyone hurt Ruby, OK?_

_Alright, dad. It's a promise!_

'How… how am I seeing these memories right in front of me…?'

Then, visions of her in her early teens began to project themselves, Yang's eyes watering up from a confused mixture of happiness and grief.

_Ruby, you know I have to go to school now._

_I don't want you to go!_

_You'll be able to come to my school next year, OK? Sorry sis, but until then you're gonna have to put up with dad._

She smiled to herself. She always remembered teasing Ruby like that. Her sister was simply too adorable to ignore, and she always had fun when Ruby was around.

'I wonder… did she enjoy those times, too? Or was I slowly pushing us apart without even realising it?'

And then, she saw something else. Something that made her all the more determined to protect her sister no matter what she had to do.

_Yang, you'll always be there when I need you, right?_

_Of course I will, Rubes. What's up?_

_I… there's something I need to tell you, but I'm not sure how to put it._

_What is it?_

She remembered being frantic with worry over what Ruby could be hiding. It seemed so silly and innocent now that she looked back on it, hardly even worth mentioning.

_I… was rejected yesterday._

_By who?_

_A boy I liked._

_Don't worry over it too much, sis. Whenever you're hurting, I'll always be there to save you, 'cos I'm super Yang! Whenever you need me there, I'll be there. That's a promise._

'That's right… I promised her that. How could I have forgotten…? Ruby, I've let you down so many times already… I swear that this time I _will _protect you!'

* * *

Ruby was sure it was over. She had tried to run, but the Grimm that was her sister soon caught up to her. It didn't kill her straight away, seeming to examine her beforehand, almost as thought wondering if she was worth killing. Ruby had been pinned to the ground, and was prepared for the absolute worst. First, a claw dug into her arm, then her shoulder. And then finally, those claws came flying at her face. But they didn't kill her. The claws sank into her cheek, Ruby closing her eyes instinctively, but they had stopped. When she dared open her eyes, she saw a sight that seemed impossible. Her sister, in a bid of rabid desperation, had somehow managed to stop the Grimm from finishing her off. The Grimm claws retracting from her face, Yang desperately struggled to tear the mask off, to be the real Yang one last time. As though it was welded to her face, the mask wouldn't budge, distorted screams of pain emitting from the brawler instead before she stopped trying and faced Ruby.

'Yang… Yang, is that you…?'

'Ruby…' her strained voice made it apparent to the redhead that her sister was using all her strength just to stay in control of her actions.

'Ruby, I always said I'd protect you, right? I've screwed up so much since this all started, so it's time for me to finally come through on that promise.'

Ruby couldn't help but cry. After all this time, her sister still remembered a silly little children's promise like that. Overwhelmed with emotion, she finally let out all her pent up sadness.

'Yang…! Yang, please… don't leave me again…!'

Speaking through sobs, she knew she was asking the impossible. But it was still something she felt she had to say, even in this situation.

'Ruby… listen to me. I can't control the Grimm for much longer,' she admitted, Ruby's heart shattering as her request was denied.

'Hell, I can barely keep my hand from plunging downwards, even as we speak. So I need to ask something from you, Ruby. Or rather, I need to tell you to do something.'

_Don't say it. Please, don't say it._

Ruby already knew the exact words that would come out of her mouth, yet she couldn't accept them. Even when Yang spoke, it was as though silence had fallen, her very being refusing to listen to Yang's request. But she still heard them. Not from her ears, but her head was repeating over and over what she knew Yang had said.

_Please, Ruby, you have to kill me._

'I can't!' Ruby said through pained words, tears raining down her cheeks. 'I can't kill you!'

'Ruby, please. You have to! I know it hurts, but… if you don't kill me, you'll die instead!'

'Then let me die! If it means I don't have to kill you then I'd gladly die!'

Yang was distraught by her words, yet strangely happy at the same time. Her sister was saying that even though she had been turned into a monster, she would still rather be killed than murder the one she had called her sister for so many years.

'Ruby, please,' Yang begged, a pitifully desperate tone in her voice. 'I don't want to live as the person who killed their little sister with their own hands!'

'And I don't want to live as the person who killed their big sister!'

Thinking for a moment, she knew she would have to soothe Ruby's distress before she would listen to a word she said. Taking a deep breath, she surprised Ruby with her next words.

'Ruby… you won't be the person who killed their big sister. You'll be the hero who saved their big sister from an eternity of suffering.'

Those words struck a chord with Ruby. Her sister was right. If she didn't kill her now, who knows how long she might suffer for? That in itself was a fate far worse than death. Her hands quivering, she took hold of Crescent Rose in its gun form, holding it against her chest as she pointed the barrel of the gun at Yang. Her finger hovering over the trigger, she tried to shoot but just couldn't bring herself to do it.

'I can't do it, Yang… I can't kill you…'

Yang understood. She had suspected all along that even if they reached this point that Ruby wouldn't be able to do the deed, which is why she had devised a plan for this situation.

Feeling the Grimm take over, she knew it could well be too late for her plan to work, but at the very least it was worth a shot.

BANG.

The bullet pierced her skull, ending the life of the Grimm who had once been Yang.

'…What…?'

In a frenzy, Ruby looked around desperately, searching for the mysterious assailant who had fired that gun.

And then the horrifying realisation dawned on her. The bullet was not from another person.

The hole in her head was dead centre. It was a bullet which could only have come from one weapon.

Crescent Rose.

_But… but I didn't fire it! I didn't even have my fingers on the trigger!_

And then she saw.

She saw the thumb pressed against the trigger. The claws which had familiarly sank deep into her skin earlier. The smile of a person who should not be smiling, given what was about to happen.

The shooter was not Ruby, nor was it an outsider.

The person who had fired the gun was Yang herself.

With her final ounce of strength, she had forced her fingers to press down against the trigger, making sure she was staring straight into the barrel of the weapon which Ruby held so dear to her.

'No… Yang… YANG!'

Coming to terms with the shock, she remembered that her sister had just been shot by a bullet. She desperately hoped that her sister might have survived, but it was useless. Yang was dead, and Ruby was truly alone now. She didn't even have herself anymore. The small remnants of her sanity which had kept her intact had shattered, leaving the cheerful façade behind, a new, broken girl taking its place. She cradled her sister's corpse for hours, the body finally fading as she desperately tried to keep her in the world for just a little longer, but life was a cruel, fickle thing. It tormented people on a whim, and seemingly had no boundaries as to how evil it could be sometimes. Sitting in that meadow, Yang was not the only one who died. The old Ruby had died with her, along with her dreams of a peaceful existence living with her sister. Getting up to leave, she wiped away her tears, determined not to let her emotions get the better of her ever again. Taking one last look at where her sister had died, she finally left the Snowpeak Valleys. Through the mountains, she came across several Grimm, all of which were happy to make attempts on her life but were viciously cut down, the red haired girl not even flinching as she carried on casually strolling through the mountain pass.

* * *

Soon after, she came across a group of White Fang thugs, men who seemed eager to pick a fight with her.

'Hey there,' one of them said in a disgustingly creepy tone. Ignoring them completely she carried on walking, not even glancing in their direction.

'Hey, bitch! You think you can just walk away from us?'

Turning around, she saw the five men advancing on her, and without hesitation she cut the head off of the man who had propositioned her.

'Speak to me again,' she said in a ruthless, unforgiving tone, 'and you'll regret it.'

The men were infuriated with her tone, one of them charging her with a shabby blade which was promptly knocked out of his hands. Or rather, his hand was removed from his arm with a skilful flick of the wrist, Crescent Rose slicing through it like butter before she rammed the blade into his chin, the weapon going straight through his skull, impaling him upon her blade. The next two henchmen were hesitant to attack, Ruby instead taking the offensive. Her blade neatly cut through the stomach of one of the men, splitting them in two before attacking the other, half the man's head sliding to the floor before he even realised what had happened. The final man who was obviously the leader of small group was attempting to flee, but Ruby easily caught him.

Pinning him to the floor, she pointed Crescent Rose at his throat.

'We're going to have a nice little chat, you and I.'

Fearfully cowering, he gave a slight nod of understanding.

'Question one. What were you planning to do to me?'

'We… we were going to beat the hell out of you.'

Ruby tut-tutted.

'Now now, you shouldn't lie. You'll only make things worse for yourself,' she said in an intimidating tone, lowering the scythe to his lower half.

'ALRIGHT, ALRIGHT! We… were going to rape you.'

'Much better. Question two. What were you doing out here?'

'Nothing, we were just sitting around passing the time!'

'What did I say about lying?'

Cutting open his jeans, his penis attempted to shrivel away and hide from her blade.

'Please… don't…'

'That's not answering my question.'

With one swift swoop, she had cut it off, blood spurting from where his manhood once was. Screaming in pain, the man begged to be forgiven.

'I'm sorry! We were working for someone! Please, that's the truth!'

'Who?'

'Cinder Fall!'

'Wait, so when I saw White Fang at the city a month ago… what did you do immediately after the attack on the city?'

'We we're told to make sure nobody escaped the city, and we ended up coming across some rabbit Faunus so we beat her up and left her to the Grimm!'

Ruby's eyes lit up with fury.

'Was she pregnant?'

'What?'

'Was. She. **PREGNANT**?!'

Not wanting to invoke her wrath more, he answered, masking the pain from his lower half to avoid aggravating her.

'…Yes…'

What he had said angered her enough, however. Changing Crescent Rose to its gun form, she pressed down hard against the stump, earning a yelp from the man as he pleaded with his eyes.

'Let's see how you like being tortured.'

With a single bullet, his groin was blown open, bits and pieces of his pelvis flying everywhere. He wouldn't be able to walk again even if he survived the blood loss, Ruby knew.

'You left a pregnant girl to be eaten by the Grimm. Now it's your turn.'

'Wait, please! Don't leave me like this!'

As she abandoned the man, she heard the faint sounds of rustling from amongst the trees nearby.

_Go. Teach that man a lesson in revenge._

Ruby smiled to herself.

_I'm surprised, but this is actually a lot of fun._

_I'll survive for you, Yang. And I'll destroy anyone and everyone if they even make the slightest hint that they'll stand in my way._


	33. Every Rose Has Its Thorns

Three months had passed since the small group of survivors had separated.

Adam had made his way all the way back to Vale, taking refuge in the city. The streets crawled with Grimm, but it wasn't anything he couldn't handle.

Sighing, he began to talk to himself to keep himself company. It had become a habit of his since venturing out alone.

'It sure is quiet around here all of a sudden.'

Looking outside, he realised that the vast numbers of Grimm that roamed the streets had decreased dramatically, almost suspiciously so.

'Huh… that's weird. Yesterday these streets were flooded with the bastards… so where did they go…?'

Wilt and Blush held closely at his side, he cautiously opened the front door to investigate. Making sure to make absolutely no noise, he made his way through the city, looking for any sign of Grimm or humans at all.

'They're all gone… what the hell happened?'

He searched every street, but each one was as desolate as the last.

'There's no way they could have all just disappeared overnight, especially without making any noise… a city doesn't empty just like that.'

Choosing to investigate further, he went to all the major buildings in the city, looking for any clues as to what happened, but it didn't matter where he went, be it the police station, Beacon or the town square, there was not a single sign of life or even a hint as to why it was suddenly empty.

'I don't like this… it's too empty… what the hell is going on?'

Without finding anything, he returned to the place he had been staying at, only to find the door strangely locked by the indoor chain. Chills ran up his spine. He hadn't locked it… so who had? It was a question he wanted to know the answer to, yet he feared that very same answer at the same time. With no choice but to break the door open, he reluctantly drew his sword and sliced through the tiny gap at the side of the door, breaking the chain that had been set. Slowly opening it, he was deeply disturbed by what he saw inside.

Written on the wall in a deep red liquid were several sentences. He wasn't stupid. He'd seen the substance enough times to know that it was blood.

**I KNOW WHAT YOU DID.**

**HOW COULD YOU BETRAY THEM LIKE THAT?**

**ONLY SOME KIND OF MONSTER WOULD DO THAT TO THEIR FRIENDS.**

**PERHAPS YOU WOULD LIKE TO BE BETRAYED TOO?**

**OR WOULD YOU RATHER SUFFER LIKE THEY DID?**

Adam feared the writing. He had been gone around two hours, so that means during that time someone had broken into his home and written this disturbing message on the walls. But the thing that scared him even more was the fact that the door was locked.

The door could only be locked from the inside. Every other exit was sealed shut. Adam made sure of that himself, and every window on the second floor was boarded up, which meant… whoever had locked his door was still in the house. On his guard, he very carefully climbed the stairs to the second floor, his heart pounding in his chest as the middle step creaked familiarly. Who would he find at the top? He wasn't sure he wanted to know. He first checked the bathroom, then the guest bedroom. They were the closest to the stairs, but they were also empty. Then, gulping as he opened the final door to the master bedroom, he saw it in a state of disarray. Clothes and furniture were chaotically spread across the room, but what was more distressing was that nobody was inside. He knew someone must have been inside the house, yet he could find no-one. And then he heard a familiar creak. Turning instantly, he saw a shadow dashing down the steps. He tried to give chase, but the door slammed shut before he was even halfway down the stairs. Blood was furiously swimming through his veins, a mixture of terror and relief swamping his thoughts as he blockaded the front door. Now nobody could get in, at least for tonight. Tomorrow he would look for a new place to stay, as his current residence was obviously not safe. Sitting at his desk, he decided to write his routine diary entry, only to find it was not in the drawer he left it.

'Is that what those strange messages were about…?'

Searching around, he found it lying next to the bed, underneath a small pile of… human hair. Brushing the hair off, he wrote his entry for the night, detailing the bizarre intrusion and ominous messages before deciding to get some sleep.

'Whoever that was is in this city with me… who the hell could it be…?'

Partway through the night, however, he was woken up by a strange dripping noise. After a few seconds, he realised his face was wet, and dabbing it with his fingers he found a red liquid.

And then he saw it.

Right there, painted on the ceiling, a message that had definitely not been there when he had gone to sleep.

**YOU WERE STUPID TO BLOCK THE DOOR.**

**NOW YOU HAVE NO WAY OUT.**

**I HOPE YOU ENJOY YOUR PUNISHMENT.**

Bolting upright, he saw it. The same shadowy figure he had seen the previous day, inching agonizingly slowly upstairs. He reached for Wilt and Blush, but they were not at his bedside where he had left them. He also noticed that his feet had been chained to the bed with some heavy steel handcuffs. He wasn't going anywhere in a hurry.

The figure approached, ever so slowly. The door was open just barely enough to see the shape, but he couldn't see who it was because of the dim light. It was only when his door opened that he saw who his attacker was.

'…Ruby…?'

'Hello Adam.'

He was speechless. There were so many questions he wanted to ask, but he couldn't squeeze out the words.

'You were naïve to think that I simply left when I slammed the door. You didn't even consider the possibility that I was still downstairs.'

Her expression was much different than the last time he had seen her. The cheery girl he knew was long gone, replaced by a stoic, jaded person. If it weren't for her physical appearance, there was no way he would have thought her to be anything like Ruby.

'That diary of yours sure is something. I was surprised when I found out what scum you really were.'

Adam realised immediately that she knew all of his secrets. The meaning behind the messages she had left suddenly became clear.

'Let's see… ah yes, here we are. This one is an extract from 11 months ago.'

Clearing her throat, she began to read from the diary.

'_Today my White Fang subordinates told me they captured two people. Some stuck up white haired bitch and a wannabe monk. I told them to make sure the bitch knew her place. I couldn't really care less about the other guy; he can do cleaning duties or some shit like that for all I care. Apparently they found them wandering around, scavenging. What a joke. It's been months since the Grimm devastated the cities, and they haven't even found a place to stay yet? They don't deserve to survive. I'm looking forward to hearing about what kind or torture they'll put the bitch through. Maybe they'll rape her. Ha, I'd love to see that.'_

Staring him in the eyes, they both knew who that passage was about.

'So,' Ruby began, her eyes violent with rage, 'tell me who those two people were.'

With no choice but to answer, he gave her the truth.

'Two former students of Beacon.'

'And their names?'

'…Weiss Schnee and Lie Ren.'

'So you knew who they were, yet still put them through that?'

Reluctantly answering, he replied with a timid, 'yes.'

His answer was unsurprisingly met with a kick to the face, his cheek stinging from where her boot had connected.

'One of my friends died because of you. Let's read the next part, shall we?'

Continuing to read from the diary, she chose a date roughly halfway through the pages.

'_Some more idiot kids were caught by my guys. I've gotta hand it to them, these students really are a bunch of dumb cunts. I heard that they acted without my orders, but it sounds like they're doing pretty good. They killed some white knight who was trying to be the good guy before they raped two of them right in front of some cry-baby bitch, and then when she got too annoying they killed her. I've gotta say, I'm pretty impressed. Marco wouldn't shut up about how much he came in them though which was a bit annoying to listen to. Maybe I should kill him?_

And then there's this piece from a few days later.

_I said to Raven we should head to that White Fang facility to help out. Hopefully I can finally get rid of the stupid slut. She won't shut the fuck up about how she wants to help save those dumbass kids. She has no idea that there's an SSS-Class waiting there for her. I mean sure, it's only there so we can experiment on humans and try to force them to turn Grimm, but it's still an SSS-Class. Even if she's not the best for combat, she's pretty damn strong. Hopefully she'll die tomorrow._

And finally, this is my personal favourite one.'

Ruby shot him a very dangerous glare that told him he would be receiving another hit soon, before continuing to read.

'_That fucking bitch! That stupid fucking rabbit fucked up all of my plans! Her and that fucking laser cannon or whatever the fuck it was! She destroyed my whole facility! I'll make her pay for that one day, I swear to God… at least we killed that stupid redhead bimbo though. 'Jaune, Jaune! Oh Jaune!' Give me a fucking break. Stupid idiots like her make me wanna puke.'_

After finishing reading that one, she kicked him again, only this time with more force. Adam heard a crack and was sure that his jaw was broken, the pain on the left side of his face searing through his skull.

'And then we have the best one of them all. After I'm done reading this one, I'm going to make sure that you never breath another day after this.'

Skipping ahead to near the end of the diary, she began to read the final chapter she had chosen.

'_Finally managed to get in touch with Cinder, Jesus that woman is hard to get hold of. It took me seven months just to find the bitch! Anyway, she told me about some operation she's planning with Taiyang. That's some X-Class Grimm she's been fucking. They're planning on attacking the city with the Grimm under Taiyang's control, so she lent me a few of her guys to use. I'm thinking of placing a few of them outside the perimeter, because I know there's some Faunus guy who's been digging an underground tunnel to the outside of the walls. Perry, I think his name was. I'll station a couple guys at the exit to make sure nobody gets out, and send a few men inside to clear out the houses. It's obvious he's got the hots for that rabbit girl so maybe he'll even try to bring her with him. I told them if they see a pregnant rabbit Faunus to make sure she goes through hell. That'll teach her a lesson about destroying my stuff.'_

Adam gulped in nervous anticipation of what Ruby would do to him.

'That attack was your doing. You made it seem like you were helping, and then you ran off to make yourself scarce. I noticed you didn't do all that much to help against the Grimm, and you were also rather suspiciously absent from when we attacked Taiyang's castle. At that point I knew something was up, so I kept a close eye on you. Then finally when I left the Snowpeak Valleys I was ambushed by a group of White Fang thugs. It all made sense when they told me who they were working for.'

Adam's face turned from one of fear to anger at the mention of it.

'Those traitors…' he muttered under his breath.

'Oh no, they didn't say your name. They said they were working for Cinder Fall, but she was dead so I knew something was wrong. But thanks for the confession. Now I can take great pleasure in killing you.'

Revealing Crescent Rose, she relished the terrified look in his eyes as she raised it above her head, before bringing it down upon him.

The next second, his disembodied hand rolled onto the floor, blood spurting from the wound before Ruby stopped the bleeding.

'I'm going to inflict a wound on you for every single one of my friends you killed, including all the people who died in that Grimm attack. I hope you're not tired, because this is going to be a long night.'

Still wearing that sadistic smile, his screams rang out into the night, his suffering unimaginably horrifying.

* * *

Come morning, he was a brutalized mess of a man, barely alive. He had had both hands taken from him, and Ruby also took the liberty of cutting his toes off. He had scars littering his back and stomach, and she had even removed some of his internal organs. Not even his face was spared, his lips too cut and swollen to speak, and his eyes having been gouged out by the tip of Crescent Rose. Even his ears had been maimed, Ruby sadistically emptying a jar of maggots into both of his ears. The bugs had crawled into his head, and he could feel them wriggling around inside his skull, yet he could do nothing about it. He knew that eventually, if he didn't die of thirst and starvation beforehand that the maggots would eventually burrow into his brain and kill him. Either way, Ruby had left him in a pitiful state, unable to do anything but wait for death to take him.

_I wonder if he's learnt his place now, _Ruby thought to herself. Angered by what he had done, she had left him in a rage after finishing their 7 hour torture session.

_Now, didn't his diary mention something about an experiment?_

_Is that what they did to Yang…?_

_They forced her to become a Grimm… unforgivable._

Then, a dangerous thought flitted through her mind.

_If I underwent that experiment… could I control the Grimm? They said that the stronger the Hunter the longer it took for the Grimm to take control, and they said that I was one of the strongest Hunters they had ever seen… if I carried out that transformation, would I be able to control it…?_

_There's only one way to find out._

And so, with a new goal in mind, she set out for her next destination:

_I'm going to pay a little visit to that White Fang facility that Velvet destroyed._


	34. The Grimm Adventures of Fenrir and Ruby

Glynda's lungs felt like they were going to burst. She didn't know how long she had been running, only that her pursuer was still very close by. Attempting to dishevel the snow on the mountains, she hoped that it would slow her assailant down even if just by a little. However, nothing she did seemed to work. She knew that whoever or whatever was behind her was slowly gaining on her, yet she couldn't do a single thing about it.

_What do I do? I could try turning to fight, but if they managed to keep up with me all this time and even get closer to me then I surely wouldn't stand a chance…_

She realised that if she ran any longer her legs would surely give out beneath her, so with no choice she came to a halt, turning to face her attacker, only… they weren't there.

'What?'

She couldn't help but exclaim in surprise. Someone had been hot on her heels just seconds before, so how had they mysteriously disappeared all of a sudden? She knew it was impossible. Staying alert, she made sure to keep a close eye on every orifice, every small crack in the rocks. If her attacker was still nearby, they were hidden extremely well. She cautiously began to back away, never taking her eyes off the rocks. And that was when it hit her. How could she have forgotten? The Grimm have six senses, not five. The sixth sense that a Grimm possessed was the ability to hear heartbeats. She knew from that one piece of information that she was dealing with a very intelligent breed. She deduced that the creature listened to her heartbeat, and knowing that her pulse was racing through her body it realised she was going to turn and fight at some point, so it hid itself. The creature knew Glynda's every move before she even did, and that meant that it also knew every place she would watch when she backed away, meaning that the one place the Grimm could be was… right behind her. Gulping, she slowly turned around, greeted with the snarling fangs of the Grimm that she had walked right into. Using aura, she bombarded it with a volley of attacks, using everything from ice to stones as weapons as she launched them at the Grimm. Her attacks had no effect on the beast however, the creature simply standing there taking the brunt of her attacks, not even flinching as it did so.

'So, this is it, huh?'

The Grimm laughed mockingly at her submission. From its appearance she could see that it was most definitely an SSS-Class, one which she had no hope of defeating alone.

'I really thought Yuki would be the one to kill me. In truth, I guess I actually hoped that she would be the one to do it.'

Glynda's solemn tone prompted the Grimm to listen to her final words before it enjoyed its meal.

'I wanted to go the same way as him.'

She couldn't stop the tears falling from her cheeks as she spoke.

_Ozpin… I let you down. I promised you that I would survive, and yet… here I am, giving my life to a Grimm. I'm sorry. I hope that we can at least meet again in the next life, if there even is one._

She closed her eyes, awaiting her end, but it never came. After a few seconds, she opened them to see a familiar pink and brown haired girl skewering the Grimm before her with her blade.

'Neo…!'

Glynda's voice swelled with a mixture of gratitude, relief and happiness. She had been given a second chance, a chance to carry out the promise she made.

_I guess I'll be able to live on after all. I wonder, did you send her? Are you still looking after me even from beyond the grave?_

'Hello Glynda,' she returned with a smile. 'Sorry.'

'Don't be. You saved my life.'

'I wasn't talking about the Grimm. I was talking about her.'

Gesturing behind Glynda, she turned around, her happiness replaced by horror as the graceful appearance of Yuki gently approached her.

'Neo… what…?'

'Just a little arrangement of ours. Who says Grimm and humans can't work together for a common cause?'

'What are you…?'

'Join us, Glynda.'

Glynda was still reeling from the shock of learning that Neo had joined forces with an X-Class Grimm. Just what was Neo's goal in all of this? That was the thought running through her head.

'Join… with a Grimm…? You think I'd join the one who killed the man I love?!'

'It's very simple. You join or you die.'

The deadpan manner in which she said this made Glynda want to be sick. How could she talk about killing another person so easily?

'What are you trying to do?' Glynda asked, a small part of her not wanting to know the answer.

'We are on an extermination mission. We're going to eradicate the humans that still wander this land,' Yuki answered, her voice devoid of any remorse. Yuki may once have been the human known as Weiss, but those days were evidently long behind her.

'And… you want me to join you and help kill the race that I'm a part of?'

'Correct.'

Thinking on it for a while, Glynda realised she didn't have much of a choice in the matter.

'…Very well. I don't really have much choice, so I'll go with you.'

A pleasant smile crossing Yuki's face, without saying another word she began to leave through the mountain pass.

'Where are we going?' Glynda asked her, Yuki not even turning as she answered.

'We're following someone. Being such a powerful Grimm gives me an extremely enhanced sense of smell, so thanks to the fact that I already know her scent I can follow her anywhere she goes.'

Reluctant to follow, she slowly began trudging behind the dangerously powerful figure in front of her.

_Ruby, Adam… I hope you're both safe._

* * *

_This is it. This is the place where I lost three of my friends._

Looking on towards the ruins of the White Fang facility that used to stand there, she took a deep breath, clearly apprehensive about dredging up those bad memories.

_Well, guess I'd better start searching. If anywhere will have information on those experiments, it's here._

Digging around through the rubble, she saw a lot of things that she recognized, namely large, misshapen sets of iron bars and the fancy interior brickwork of the main entrance.

_I'm gonna be here for a while._

After searching for around two hours, she found nothing helpful. No notes, no nothing. It all just looked the same to her, barring the occasional room that wasn't built out generic material. She suddenly became alert however when she heard a faint rustling behind her, immediately drawing Crescent Rose in response.

Staying perfectly silent, she waited to see if whoever was there would make another move, only to be met with an eerie silence. Standing slowly, she quickly flitted her eyes around the area, seeing nothing but horizon in every direction.

'Who's there?'

Her calm, collected voice betrayed her slight nervousness at not knowing who was following her. Turning back round, she caught a view of something moving quickly towards her out of the corner of her eye.

_I knew it!_

Through her training she had gotten extremely proficient at using her semblance to its full potential, and it showed as the Grimm moved in what was essentially slow motion. Taking a closer look, she could see that it was an SSS-Class Beowolf, the claws and fangs being a dead giveaway along with the pair of wolf ears atop his head.

Throwing the Grimm to the ground and pinning it down with her scythe, she released her semblance. The Grimm was evidently confused as to what had just happened. From its perspective it had been mid-jump one second and the next moment it was lying on the ground, its prey asserting control over it.

'What…?'

'You're going to tell me something,' Ruby said, her eyes filled with anger that a Grimm such as this would dare to try and ambush her.

'I'm not telling you shit.'

Pressing the blade down hard against its throat, the Grimm soon complied.

'Alright, alright! What… what do you want to know?'

With a smile, Ruby surprised the Beowolf with her request.

'Tell me how to become a Grimm.'

'Umm… excuse me?'

'You're a powerful Grimm, and I respect that. But that also means that you must know how to turn a human into a Grimm.'

Suddenly, the Beowolve's expression contorted into one of frustration.

'You think its nice being like this? We Grimm didn't ask for this. It's like a torture that never ends!'

'I understand that. But that doesn't change a thing. Tell me how to become a Grimm.'

'You're playing with fire, girl. This isn't something you want to experiment with.

Threatening him with her blade, the look in her eyes pierced fear into the Grimm.

'Tell me. _Now._'

'It's your funeral. Fine, I'll tell you. In exchange, don't kill me.'

'I thought it was endless torture?'

'That doesn't mean we don't fear death. We may be monsters, but we still fear. We are still capable of emotion.'

'Alright, I get it. Just tell me how to become a Grimm.'

With a sigh, the Grimm reluctantly complied.

'You have to eat a part of a Grimm. Your body absorbs the Grimm DNA and then when you use those cells they start to hijack the body from the inside out, eventually converting them all into Grimm cells.'

Not even waiting for him to finish, she dug her teeth into a small portion of his arm, ripping the flesh directly from him, swallowing it with a dissatisfied expression.

'Ouch, that hurt, damn it!'

'Hmm… tastes like shit.'

'Well gee, I wonder why! It's almost like its raw flesh that was just ripped straight from a Grimm!'

Ruby seemed amused by his tone.

'I like you. You can come with me for a while.'

The Beowolf wasn't sure how to respond to her proposition, but guessed that refusal was probably a one-way road to death row.

'Fine,' he said with a heaving sigh.

'By the way, I never asked your name,' Ruby put forward, finally stepping back to allow the Grimm back to his feet.

'Name's Fenrir. How about you?'

'I'm Ruby.'

They said nothing more as Ruby gestured him to follow her, Fenrir begrudgingly following her knowing that escaping would be a futile attempt from her earlier display of power.

After they had been walking for a few hours, Ruby asked a question that had been bugging her since she ate a part of Fenrir's flesh.

'So when will the Grimm transformation actually begin?'

'You have to use the Grimm cells inside you. Usually I'd think that's by being put in a life or death situation, but in your case I don't know how we can force it. Maybe you can just will yourself to use them, or something.'

'No… there is one thing.'

_Yuki…_

A deep black mist began to form around her, enveloping her and seeping into her skin. After a few minutes the mist finally cleared, but what came out of it was not the Ruby that Fenrir had seen just moments before. He stared onwards in shock, unable to believe what he was seeing.

'No way…'

Ruby's skin was covered in strange black markings, and her cape and hair had been dyed black. Even the shaft of Crescent Rose was covered in a strange bone-like structure, and her fingernails were much more pointed and pronounced than before. When she opened her eyes, however, that was what surprised him the most. The pure blood-red eyes that she possessed on her mask-less face told him everything. This young girl at such a tender age was on par with the X-Class even before her transformation.

'What?' Ruby's innocent voice called out to him, snapping him out of his trance.

'Wait… why isn't your personality different?'

'What are you talking about?'

There was genuine confusion in her voice.

_She really isn't affected by the Grimm…? What's going on? Could she seriously be powerful enough to dominate the Grimm inside her…? That's insane! That's an X-Class Grimm! What the hell kind of monster is she…_

'Umm… when a human undergoes a transformation to becoming a Grimm they're fused with the Grimm genes, and those are usually more dominant and take control. How are you able to control the Grimm so easily?'

'I guess it's because I underwent the transformation immediately and willingly rather than fighting against it? I dunno.'

'Still... you managed to beat out the power of an X-Class for possession of that body… that's insane.'

'Oh no…'

Fenrir grew worried at her sudden exclamation.

'W-what? What's wrong?'

'I spent years dying black parts into my red hair, and now it's all black.'

Ruby pouted adorably despite her appearance, annoyed that she had lost her red locks.

_This girl has some serious priority issues that she needs sorting out._

'Although,' she began again, a mischievous blush filling her cheeks, 'I do quite like these new feelings I'm getting.'

'Uhh… what?'

Pushing him down to the ground, Ruby seemed attracted to his scent on an almost animalistic level, mounting him much to his surprise. Even Fenrir seemed embarrassed by her actions, looking away to avoid making awkward eye contact.

A few hours later, and Ruby had finished her 'activities,' Fenrir panting exhaustedly after being subjected to her desire-sating.

'I thought I was going to die.'

'Relax, it was pretty good,' she chirped happily. 'Although you were pretty fast,' she complained.

'NINETEEN TIMES! THAT'S HOW MANY YOU FORCED OUT OF ME! DO YOU HAVE _ANY _IDEA HOW SORE I AM NOW? I'M NOT GONNA PEE COMFORTABLY FOR WEEKS!'

'You'll get over it. Besides, I think I should be able to hold back for a while,' she shot back, before having a teasing thought as she looked over at him again. 'Actually…'

'Oh no, no way. I'm not letting you within ten feet of me after that.'

'Yeah, don't worry about it. I'll leave you alone… for a while.'

_At least until I find her._

_Yuki… no, Weiss… I'm gonna find you. I don't care what you are on the surface; I know you're still Weiss deep down. And I'm going to bring that side of you back. That's a promise._


	35. A Fateful Encounter

As they walked over the past few days, Ruby noticed that Fenrir seemed to be agitated over something.

'What's up?' she asked, her high-pitched voice not matching her looks.

'I don't know,' Fenrir replied, obviously troubled by something. 'I just feel like something isn't right, like something has just dropped out of my life all of a sudden.'

'Yeah, I get what you mean. I get the same feeling. I felt like that a lot when I lost one of my friends. It leaves you with a big empty void thinking about how different things could have been. How different they _should _have been.' Giving him an endearing smile, she probed him with a question that he never would have expected of an X-Class.

'You'll never leave me, right Fenrir?'

'Not really like I have a choice in the matter,' he replied sourly.

'Ouch. That hurts, Fenrir.'

_Well, at least she seems to be in good spirits, all things considered._

He constantly worried over her transformation. If she suddenly lost control of her Grimm half then there would be nothing Fenrir could do to stop her, and alternatively attempting to escape would get him killed as well. He tried his best to play along and keep her happy as a form of self-preservation, and he knew that the slightest mistake meant death.

'Where are we even going?' he finally asked, tired of walking endlessly without a clear goal in sight.

'I'm going to find someone. There's just one more thing I want to get off my chest before I'll be happy.'

Her voice had taken a much more serious vibe to it now, something that very much surprised Fenrir. Yes, she had been quite dominating and stoic when they first met but he assumed that was just because she was in combat. It was an attitude that unnerved him somewhat. Noticing that she was staring intently at him, he asked the reason behind it.

'What?'

'Nothing. I just… I feel like I've known you forever, even though we've been together for a couple of days. Do you feel the same?'

'I guess. It's weird. We barely know each other, but for some reason I can talk openly with you as though we were best friends.'

'Maybe we are best friends. I mean, it's not like we have anyone else. Guess that makes us BFF's by default, huh?'

Fenrir couldn't help but laugh at her cutesy tone of voice. Feeling offended, Ruby pouted, demanding an answer.

'What's wrong? Why are you laughing? Tell me!'

'Nothing,' he replied, still stifling laughter, 'it's just the fact that your style of speech really doesn't fit with your appearance. From an outsiders perspective you look like a badass, but hearing you say things like 'BFF' just completely ruins that. I just found it kinda funny, that's all.'

Not saying a word the rest of the journey, Ruby sulked over Fenrir's words, ignoring everything he said afterwards.

'It's getting pretty late, we should probably make camp,' Ruby put forward, cutting a tree down with Crescent Rose as she spoke.

'Most Grimm don't usually sleep, you know,' Fenrir pointed out. 'We don't need it.'

'I'm not most Grimm,' Ruby shot back. 'I'm still partly human, meaning I still need sleep.'

'Fair enough. I guess it would be nice to take a nap for once.'

Laying down next to the makeshift fire Ruby created using her scythe, he basked in the warmth of the flames.

_Maybe this isn't so bad. It's nice to have a friend now and then, even if she could flip and kill me without notice. Damn, why do I care? I'm a Grimm, so why do I care about her being around so much…?_

His thoughts were soon interrupted by Ruby.

'Hey, Fenrir. Were you a human like me, or were you born as a Grimm?'

'I'm a pure blood Grimm. I wish I used to be human. It'd be nice not having to kill just to stop myself from going nuts. Hey… being human… was it nice?'

'Yeah. For me there's no better feeling in the world than spending time with all of your friends, laughing and having fun without a care in the world.'

Her voice carried a tone of nostalgia through her words, and Fenrir understood that it was an existence she wished she could still have.

'Why did you become a Grimm, then? If you didn't hate being human, why become a Grimm?'

She didn't respond. The only thoughts in her head were those of the days before all this chaos began, and tears rolled down her cheeks at those pleasant memories.

'I get it, it's probably something you're not comfortable talking about. Don't worry abo-'

'I became a Grimm to punish myself.'

_Well that wasn't the answer I was expecting._

'What do you mean, "To punish yourself"?'

'My sister… she died, not too long ago. Three months to be exact. She was forcibly turned into a Grimm back at that destroyed facility where we met. I figured if I went back there I'd find information about how to become a Grimm hidden in the rubble or something. I wanted to find that information because I failed as a sister. She was called Yang, by the way. We were fighting an X-Class Grimm called Taiyang, and I was completely useless. During that fight, she had to use the Grimm cells inside her body to win that fight. If I'd just been a little bit stronger… if I wasn't so useless she wouldn't have had to go through that. Soon after that, she left our group, I assume to keep us safe because she didn't know when she'd turn. When I finally found her again, she turned into a Grimm right in front of me, and then with her last bit of strength she took her own life, because I was too pathetic to do it for her. This is the punishment I deserve for letting her suffer like that, all alone. I don't care how hungry I get or how much pain I'm in. I will suffer through this until the day somebody strong enough to kill me comes along and ends my life.'

_She's been suffering all this time, but she still managed to stay so happy on the outside… this girl is incredible._

'What about you? Any family or friends of your own?'

A bitter taste welled up in his stomach at the mention of family.

'…No. Grimm aren't the most affectionate creatures. When my mother gave birth to me, I was abandoned, left to fend for myself. As far as Grimm are concerned, if you can't raise yourself you're a failure. Naturally my father left after mating with her. Women are basically just breeding machines in the world of Grimm. As for friends, most of the friendlier Grimm tend to die at young ages. You have to be ruthless to thrive.'

At that moment, it was as though both of their thoughts were in perfect harmony with one another.

'So, we're both alone.' 'So, we're both alone.'

Looking at each other with a surprised smile, they realised that they were wrong.

_That's right. We're not alone._

_We have each other._

The next morning, the two set off again, feeling much closer to one another after the previous night. It was like they were each other's family now, there to listen to each other and share laughs. They were both weighted by extreme amounts of emotional pain, but that was a pain they were both willing to share, because they had something stronger than that. They had their friendship. An unlikely one born from their rather dangerous meeting, but they realised that even as Grimm with both Grimm and human minds they weren't all that different.

'Stop.'

Ruby immediately realised that Fenrir's excellent smell and hearing must have caught something.

'Well, that's probably not a good thing,' he continued.

'What is it?'

'I can smell it. A Grimm I've had an encounter with in the past that I'd rather not cross again.'

Ruby had a feeling she already knew who he was talking about, but she asked anyway for confirmation.

'Who is it?'

'Yuki.'

She was right. But this wasn't a bad thing as Fenrir had suggested.

'That's good news,' Ruby told him.

'How is that good?! She's an X-Class! She's stronger than me, and equal with you!'

'It's good news because that's who I've been searching for.'

Fenrir shook his head in disbelief.

'You don't seriously mean to challenge her, right?'

'Not challenge, no. I want to speak with her though.'

Her voice was commanding now, as if she had indirectly demanded that Fenrir lead her to Yuki.

'This way,' he reluctantly said, heading in the direction of the X-Class.

_I hope she knows what she's doing._

A few moments later, and Yuki came into view, along with two figures next to her which Ruby was able to make out as Neo and Glynda. Approaching them, Ruby ignored Yuki for the time being, choosing to probe the two women beside her instead.

'What are you two doing with her?'

'What are you doing as a Grimm?' Glynda shot back.

'Touché. Answer my question first and I'll answer yours,' she negotiated.

'Simply put, we're being held prisoner.'

Ruby looked at Yuki with an unimpressed expression.

'Wow, those are some seriously cool markings though,' Neo said, admiring Ruby's newfound appearance. She seemed to be getting quite hands on, feeling the texture of her skin which Ruby didn't particularly like, but chose not to say anything. She didn't want to provoke Yuki in any way.

'So, Yuki. Here we are.'

'Hey, what happened to our answer?' Glynda blurted out, annoyed at Ruby's lack of explanation.

'I lied,' she replied without hesitation.

'What is it you wish to speak about?' Yuki asked, seemingly aware of Ruby's reason for approaching. Fenrir figured the conversation wasn't his place to butt in, so decided to step back.

'I want to speak about us.'

'Very well. Glynda, leave us be. You too, Neo.'

_Leave her? _Neo thought to herself. _No chance. She's the one that rallied everyone against Taiyang! She's the reason Roman is dead! That stupid fucking Heart of the Philosopher didn't do jack shit either! No, I don't care if I die here as long as I drag this bitch to hell with me._

She took a step back to give the impression that she was leaving, before drawing her blade.

_See you on the other side, bitch!_

'RUBY, NO!'

Fenrir saw what Neo was trying to do and immediately pounced on her, the blade just barely missing Ruby's back. As he lay on top of Neo, however, he felt a sharp pain in the left side of his chest. He didn't have to look to know. He knew that Neo's blade, the blade that he had saved Ruby from had found a new victim.

'FENRIR!'

Neo threw the Beowolf off of her, making a dash for the trees, but soon found her feet frozen to the floor.

'Neo, you have killed one of my own. Do not think I will just let you run away from your fate now,' Yuki's harsh voice called out. Fear ran through her body. There were two very pissed off X-Class Grimm that wanted her blood. She knew she wasn't escaping.

'Fenrir… why did you protect me?! I'm an X-Class! I could take a hit like that!'

Fighting back the pain, he answered honestly.

'Because for some stupid reason I care about you, and there's something you're forgetting, Ruby. Grimm may be soulless, but that doesn't mean we don't have hearts. One good hit to the heart and even the strongest of Grimm will go down,' he explained. 'You know, it's strange. Before I met you, I was convinced that humans were nothing more than prey to keep Grimm from going insane. But… you changed that. You showed me that maybe humans aren't so bad after all. For the first time in my life, you gave me a friend, Ruby. And as much as I hated some of the stuff you did to me, deep down I actually kinda liked it. It made me feel like someone genuinely wanted me around. I guess in those few days we spent together I started to fall for you somewhere down the line.'

Seeing that his body was beginning to dissolve, he realised he was running out of time, so he said the final thing that was on his mind.

'You made a dumbass like me feel love for the first time. Thank you, Ruby.'

_I guess in the end I really did have a choice about leaving her._

'Fenrir… please don't leave me… please…'

She knew it was hopeless, and even though she had vowed to kill her emotions after Yang's death she realised how much she had actually come to care about Fenrir during the time they had spent together. However, her sorrow soon turned to rage, as her blood red eyes seemed to grow an even more powerful scarlet as she turned to look at Neo.

'You…'

Neo gulped in fear. Whatever Ruby would do to her, she knew it wouldn't be good.

'I'll make you pay for what you've done.'


	36. The Dark World

Neo felt as though Ruby's eyes were piercing directly into her soul itself.

'Ruby, wait,' Glynda shouted out, 'I understand you're angry, but surely there must be some other way! Surely you don't have to kill her!'

'Are you arguing with our decision?' Ruby said menacingly, turning to look at Glynda as she spoke.

'I'm not trying to provoke you. I'm just saying that surely there must be some other way than killing her,' Glynda tried to bargain, however Ruby was having none of it.

'Be quiet or you'll join her,' Ruby threatened, Yuki also shooting Glynda a warning glance.

Walking slowly towards Neo, Ruby put forward an interesting statement to the girl.

'Hey Neo, did you know that when a human merges with a powerful Grimm, they gain the ability to use a second semblance? Specifically the semblance that the Grimm would have possessed.'

Neo understood perfectly what the reason behind that statement was. She was going to be Ruby's test subject, the sacrificial lamb to discover her second semblance. Turning back to look at the others, Ruby gave them a warning.

'I'd stay back. I don't know what this second semblance does, so it might be something destructive.'

Neo trembled in fear. She knew she was going to suffer a painful death for angering Ruby, and she was entirely helpless to stop it.

'Do you have anything to say?'

Before she knew it, Ruby was right in front of her.

_I'm already screwed, _she thought. _Might as well go for it._

'Yeah, I do. Go to hell, bitch.'

Furious, Ruby swung her scythe down on Neo's shoulder, digging deep into her flesh and carving the collarbone in half. Neo stayed completely quiet, but the contorted expression of pain betrayed her. Aura flowing through her hands and scythe, Ruby swung again, this time digging into her other shoulder, but Neo began screaming the second it made contact. Ruby found it strange considering the girl had made no noise from the first hit, so she wondered why before realising just what was happening.

_I see, so this is the Grimm's semblance._

True enough, unbeknownst to all but Neo herself, she began to hallucinate, sharp spikes of pain ringing through her body in areas Ruby hadn't even touched. It felt as though the flesh was being ripped from her bones, but when she looked it was still there. Thousands of white-hot needles stabbing her in the eyes, making her vision go hazy. But again, when that was over she realised she was fine.

'That's quite the semblance,' Yuki stated, impressed by the power Ruby possessed.

_I'll leave her like that for a while, _Ruby decided to herself, leaving the girl in endless agony as she walked back towards Glynda and Yuki.

Trying to stifle her sadness over Fenrir's death, Ruby clenched her fists and was about to say something before Glynda beat her to it.

'Why did you become a Grimm, Ruby?'

'I had my reasons. I'd rather not speak about it, if it's all the same with you.'

'It was Yang, wasn't it?'

'I SAID SHUT UP!'

Ruby herself seemed surprised at her outburst, and Glynda knew that she had hit the nail on the head with her guess, deciding to be quiet both for her sake and Ruby's. Regaining her composure, Ruby began to speak again as though nothing had happened.

'Yuki, you wanted to speak with me as well, didn't you?'

Turning to Glynda, Yuki gave her an order that surprised her.

'Leave us. You're free to go.'

Glynda took her opportunity and decided to let them have their talk alone.

'So, Yuki, I get the feeling that we both wanted to talk about the same thing.'

'As do I.'

Growing frustrated at the girl still screaming behind her, Ruby picked up Crescent Rose and fired it, the bullet instantly destroying Neo's brain.

'Sorry, she was getting quite annoying. Anyway, back to our chat. There's something I want to clarify with you first. You know what that is, don't you?'

'Yes,' she simply replied.

'Are you Weiss?'

After a brief pause, Yuki answered once again.

'…Yes.'

Ruby breathed a sigh of relief at having been correct in her prediction.

'Thank god,' she said happily, 'at least I can leave the world without any regrets then.'

'As can I,' Yuki responded with a smile.

Preparing herself for what she was about to say, Ruby found herself growing nervous in front of the snow girl.

'Alright, here goes. Yuki… no, Weiss…'

She gulped as she tried to force the words out.

'Weiss, I… uh… I'm…'

'You're what?' she replied in a teasing tone. Ruby realised Weiss already knew what she was going to say.

'I'm… I'M IN LOVE WITH YOU!'

Her face was painted an adorable flush of crimson at the confession, her eyes tightly shut as though not wanting to see her response. When she finally opened her eyes, Weiss simply stood there with a pleasant smile.

'W-what…? Say something! Do you… do you like me back, or…?'

'Don't tell me you really didn't notice it?' Weiss said playfully, as though there was some obvious fact that Ruby had missed out on.

'Notice what? Notice what!?'

Ruby was getting worried that she'd missed an obvious clue of some kind before Weiss calmly explained it to her waiting ears.

'I have no problems with killing or harming humans, no matter who they may be. You understand that, right?'

'Yes,' Ruby replied, unsure of where she was going with her explanation.

'Now, think back to when you were at that facility. When Glynda was mere feet ahead of me and you showed up to save her, I could have killed you both right there and then. I've never had a problem killing anybody before, but when it came to you… something within myself stopped me from even trying to harm you. At that moment I realised just how madly in love with you I must have been thanks to Weiss' memories, and I didn't even realise it myself.'

She looked almost sad as she spoke, before saying something that surprised Ruby even more.

'I'm going to give control of this body back to Weiss. The real Weiss. That way the two of you can make up for everything you missed out on since you were separated.'

Tears began to well up in Ruby's eyes. An act of kindness for the sake of being kind coming from a Grimm was unheard of, especially one of Yuki's power. When she threw herself into Ruby's arms, the scythe wielder knew that the Weiss she knew had come back to her.

'You're such a dolt!'

Both of them cried in each other's arms, the two Huntresses-turned-Grimm unbelievably happy at being able to convey their feelings after all this time.

'God, Weiss… I missed you so damn much! I never thought I'd get to even speak to you again, let alone meet you!'

'Me too, Ruby… I'm happy that I can tell you how I feel at last. And… I'm sorry for what I did.'

'What do you mean, 'what you did?''

'I'm sorry for taking my own life. It was selfish of me, and… it was stupid of me, too. I almost missed out on talking with you like this because of it.'

'Hey, don't be silly. You have nothing to be sorry for. After all the stuff I've seen people go through, I can imagine what would drive you to that state. It hurts just thinking about what they might have done to you…'

'Hey, that's all in the past now. We can save dying for after we've sorted out all our thoughts and feelings.'

'Yeah…'

Ruby and Weiss looked into one another's eyes, both of them longing for each other before sharing a powerful kiss, one to make up for all the time they had missed.

They continued like that for at least a minute, their tongues exploring their lovers mouths as if to never forget the feeling of being together.

'God, I love you Weiss.'

'I love you too, Ruby.'

Their heads pressed against each other, they stood in blissful happiness, before Weiss seemed to be growing impatient over something.

'What's up?'

'Nothing, it's just I… we…'

'Come on, you can tell me Weiss. No more hiding things from each other.'

Muttering under her breath, she pouted adorably. And even though it was barely a whisper, Ruby could make out the faint sound of Weiss talking.

'I think we should make love…'

Ruby's eyes lit up, both at the immense cuteness displayed on Weiss' pure red face and the happiness at the suggestion.

'I do too, Weiss. Come with me. I know exactly where we should go.'

* * *

The two of them walked for around a week, before finally arriving at their destination.

'This is…' Weiss began, looking up at the majestic building in front of them. Even after being partially destroyed it still retained an air of dignity about it.

'Yep,' Ruby answered gleefully. 'This is Beacon. But it's not as though we're just going to do it in the front entrance. Let's go to our dorm one last time.'

They both knew what each other was thinking, specifically their thoughts involving life after this.

'It's such a different place when it's empty,' Weiss said.

_Of course, she was only here for the initial attack. She never met team CFVY here like we did._

Ruby was used to the solitude, having already seen it once it didn't come as much of a shock to her. Even through all the carnage and destruction however, their dorm room was practically untouched.

'All this time this room has been fine… it feels so nostalgic. Almost like when we're in here, it never happened,' Weiss said wistfully.

Ruby lay Weiss down on the bed, and giving her a kiss on the forehead she told her to stay where she was, leaving the room to go get some things. After a brief period of time, she returned with a box of scented candles and a match, placing them around the room and lighting them.

'I never knew you were such a romantic, Ruby,' Weiss teased, to which Ruby pouted. Taking a sniff of the air, Weiss commented on her choice of candle. 'Strawberry scented? It's quite nice.'

Ruby climbed on top of Weiss, staring down into her eyes. She looked so helpless, it made Ruby want to tease her a little bit.

'You know, maybe we shouldn't do this after all,' Ruby said playfully as she got off the bed, to which Weiss cutely and silently begged her to stay.

'Oh alright, you win,' she said, returning to her previous position, giving Weiss a passionate kiss on the lips.

'You're so beautiful, Weiss.'

'The same goes for you,' she replied with a smile.

'No I'm not. I have all these weird black marks on my body. How is that beautiful?'

'I couldn't care less about how you look on the outside. To me, you're beautiful both outside and in.'

Ruby began to tear up from happiness at the words her lover was saying.

'Thank you…'

As she leaned in for another kiss, Ruby's hand adventurously slipped between Weiss' yukata, garnering a cute gasp from the white-haired girl as Ruby's fingers delicately stroked her most precious place.

'Ah… Ruby… that's…'

'Shh…' Ruby hushed, although it was more like an order. Even Ruby was surprised at how dominant she became when it came to things like this. Opening Weiss' yukata some more, she lowered her lips to one of her nipples which was poking out after the pleasure she had just felt, a single finger slipping inside Weiss as she did so which brought with it another lustful moan.

'Ruby… that feels so nice, Ruby…'

Happy that her partner was enjoying the stimulation, she carefully slipped a second finger inside feeling Weiss' insides convulsing as she did.

'Weiss, are you…?'

Before she could even finish, a high-pitched squeal came from the girls mouth as her juices flooded Ruby's fingers and the bed sheets alike.

'You came so fast,' Ruby said, surprised. 'That's really adorable.'

'Don't call me adorable,' Weiss said timidly, trying to cover her face out of embarrassment.

'Hey Weiss, move your hands a second,' Ruby said, the white haired girl doing so only to have two of Ruby's fingers thrust inside her mouth, still wet with her own juices. Both the scent and taste drove her crazy, desiring more pleasure. However, she pulled Ruby down onto the bed and clambered on top of her, desperate to be the one in control.

'Alright, I'll let you take the lead,' Ruby said confidently, Weiss growing frustrated at how in control Ruby was. Turning around, she thrust her lower body towards Ruby's lips, leaning over to enjoy the taste of her lover. Both of them began to lick the other, unable to stifle the pleasant noises that were coming from them as they were filled with rushes of pleasure.

'You taste delicious,' Ruby teased, to which Weiss replied, 'so do you.'

The two girls continued like that for a few minutes, both feeling waves of pleasure building up deep inside them.

'Weiss, I'm gonna…!'

'Yeah, me too!'

As the two of them came, their juices covered each other's face, but they didn't care. They were just so happy to finally be able to consummate their love after all the time they had missed.

Getting off the bed, the two of them decided to take a shower which to their surprise was still working.

'Oh yeah, this place has reserve water and power in cases of emergency, doesn't it?' Ruby realised, faintly remembering being told it at some point, probably while she was half asleep.

The two of them showered, relishing their first touch of warm water in a long time.

'So,' Ruby began, 'I think we both know where we go from here, don't we?'

'Yeah,' Weiss solemnly replied. All traces of that happiness they had shared moments ago was now gone, both of them knowing what came next.

'You don't deserve to have to live your life in suffering, Ruby. You don't have to punish yourself anymore.'

'And you don't deserve it either. You were forcibly brought back from the dead.'

The two of them stared into each other's eyes one last time, sadness overwhelming them as they hugged each other. Picking up Crescent Rose, Ruby held the blade against their necks.

'I can't do it, Weiss.'

Her hands were trembling, and she couldn't bring herself to pull the trigger.

'We've both earned a peaceful rest. Don't worry, I've already been dead once. When you die you never forget the good memories you had when you were alive. It's the most peaceful thing you can imagine. It's a bit dark though. Not much light after death,' she joked, trying to lighten the mood.

'Then let's go,' Ruby said as she took a deep breath.

'Let's go to the dark world.'

Pulling the trigger, both of their lives ended in an instant, and the two of them passed over, leaving all their horrible memories behind, only the happy times remaining.

They passed over to the dark world, only the blissful happiness remaining.


End file.
